Rebuilding Sequel to Crossing Paths
by lexie2
Summary: A year later. Lex and Chloe are trying to rebuild their lives. As their friendship strengthens and her attachment to his children grow, Lex realises they are playing a dangerous game that could end up with more than one heart broken if he is not careful.
1. Resolutions

**REBUILDING**** (SEQUEL TO ´CROSSING PATHS´)**

A/N: This fic is a sequel to my story ¨Crossing Paths¨ and, as such, it presupposes the reader knows about the events that brought Chloe and Lex to this point in their lives and relationship. Several things will, therefore, be taken for granted and will be understood only after having read the first one.

You can find Crossing Paths by clicking on my username and accessing my profile.

SUMMARY: A year after their paths crossed once again, Lex and Chloe are trying to rebuild their lives. As their friendship strengthens and Chloe´s attachment to his children grow, Lex realises they are playing a dangerous game which could end up with more than one heart broken were he unable to live up to his promise.

**CHAPTER 1:** Resolutions

_Four months later_

_Chloe´s flat- Metropolis_

It was eight o´clock in the morning when Chloe´s mobile shrilled. She had already downed her first mug of coffee and was pouring herself a second when the incoming call made her jump. She let the voice mail pick it up and grabbed the last Danish she had sworn she´d leave for tea in the afternoon. Lex had told her men preferred women who could fill a dress with natural curves, but she knew better. How could she trust someone who had always had a soft spot for slim long-legged brunettes?

Chloe stuffed the remaining portion of the pastry into her mouth with an unwelcome feeling of guilt. She knew she had put on a few pounds in the last couple of months. Being around Lex was wrecking havoc on her libido, and the stress she was under since her association with him came to light wasn´t helping her resolve to keep fit one bit. What´s more, her chocolate craving had come back with a vengeance, and her caffeine intake had broken new records.

¨Damn it, Sullivan! ¨she said through gritted teeth as she saw Lex´s devastatingly handsome persona in the morning news. ¨You´ve got to pull yourself together and quit binging before you turn yourself into a stout pig. He may not be looking at you the way you wish he did, but you´ll have no chance in hell unless you quit this self-destructive act. ¨

Chloe turned off the TV giving a last forlorn look at the billionaire on the screen. God, she was a lost cause! No matter how many times she´d told herself she was no longer a high school student, her hormones told her otherwise- her hormones and her biological clock, that is. Most of her former classmates were already mothers and three-quarters of her newspaper colleagues were in a serious relationship. Even her hell raiser of a cousin, Lois, had settled down with Clark and was now expecting a baby.

However, the blonde reporter couldn´t but thank God for letting her lavish part of the love she had to give on Lex´s children- whom she loved as if they were her own. Alex was such an adorable boy, and his personality reminded her so much of the hurt and tortured soul that inhabited his dad. Although the child was young, she prayed it wasn´t too late to undo or, at least, to compensate him for all the harm Lana had done to him in his short life.

It was true Chloe had a special place in her heart for the red-haired boy; still, it was sweet little Lillian who had her twisted around her little finger. The innocent baby, who had never let anyone touch her except her dad, had taken an instant liking to the snarky reporter and surprised her worshipping dad by squirming in his arms to be picked up by Chloe whenever the baby´s blue-grey eyes saw Lois´ cousin in the vicinity. Oh, yes! Chloe had not only fallen head-over-heels in love with the brooding billionaire again, she was falling hard for his children and didn´t know how long she could take the friends-only relationship that she had offered and he had gratefully seized with desperate hands.

¨It´s time to make some resolutions, Sullivan, ¨she murmured, fetching a big black garbage bag to collect all the biscuits, chocolate and sweet stuff she had stored in the kitchen cabinets and the fridge. ¨No more pity binging; you´re better than this. Hell, you know he found you attractive once, and you were a teenager then. Who says you can´t make him see you for the woman you are now? You may not be his usual type; your hips are a little too rounded, your stomach isn´t as flat as that bitch Victoria´s, but I guess it´s time to follow Lois´ advice and show off your natural endowments. Besides, you´ve got a huge plus, brains, and you know for certain he´s never been able to resist a battle of wits. ¨

She tied up the bulky bag and heard the ringtone announcing a new incoming call.

¨We´re a real pain in the butt this morning, aren´t we?¨ she sighed, checking the caller ID and flipping the mobile open with a frown. ¨Sullivan. ¨

¨Why the hell didn´t you pick up my previous call, Sullivan? Don´t tell me you were sleeping. A good reporter never sleeps when the biggest stories are out there waiting to be written, ¨barked the voice on the other side.

Chloe hadn´t heard that voice in a while and, as the ramblings of the grumpy editor continued to sound in her ear, she felt a sudden wave of anger overtake her. She knew where this was coming from and he was going to hear her out.

_LEX´S OFFICE- LUTHORCORP PLAZA_

Lex had arrived at the top floor of the glass and steel building which dominated the city centre of Metropolis fifteen minutes after nine. He had driven Alex to kindergarten and brought Lilly along for the appointment he had made a week before. Maybe it was too early- she had just turned nine months- but he would make sure she had the best medical care money could buy to help her not feel an outsider like he had when he was a child.

Dr Elizabeth Sutton came with the best recommendations and Lex had liked what he saw the minute the minute they were introduced. She was a true professional and Lilly seemed to feel comfortable around her- a real feat when the girl only allowed a privileged few to touch her. Although the therapist hadn´t told him anything new, the programme she presented him with convinced him to put his precious child in her hands; needless to say he had run a complete background check on the middle-aged physician before making an appointment with her- his trust issues were as usual a permanent fixture in his life.

Lex had left Dr Sutton´s office before the clock struck nine and headed to the headquarters of his empire with Lilly strapped to her seat in the back of the car. Today he had decided to do without the services of Nanny Robertson and look after the girl himself- it would be a quiet day at the office seeing he had re-scheduled all appointments and conference calls for the following Monday. Even though he would have rather driven back to the penthouse, there were a couple of things he had to see to which he couldn´t take home.

¨_You_ called him, didn´t you? ¨an irate voice disturbed the silence of his inner sanctum.

¨Good morning to you too, Chloe, ¨he knitted his eyebrows as he lowered the screen of his laptop and bored his eyes into the dynamo of energy he had let in his life again four months ago. ¨I´m afraid you´ll have to enlighten me as to the identity of the ´he´ I´ve allegedly called, ¨he added calmly, wondering whether he hadn´t overstepped the boundaries after all.

¨You know who I´m talking about, Lex, ¨she advanced further into the room. ¨You just can´t let things be, can you? ¨

¨Chloe... ¨ began Lex, only to be cut off by a hyperventilating Chloe.

¨I know what you´re trying to do, Lex, and I don´t want it! ¨she exclaimed flushed.

¨I´m not trying to manipulate you, Chloe, ¨he responded gravely.

¨Maybe not me. But what about Perry? I know blackmail when I see it. You should remember I´ve experienced your family´s special kind of persuasion in the flesh, ¨ she answered back, seeing his nostrils flare.

¨There was no need to resort to blackmail, Chloe. The old man knows he should have never let you go. He´d be a fool not to jump at the chance to have you back, ¨ he leant forward in his chair,

¨ He´s already got Lois and Clark, ¨she responded, crossing her arms in front of her.

¨As much as you love your cousin, and as much as I´ve grown to like her or tolerate her in the last four months, we both know she´ll never be half as good as you are. And Clark? ¨he snorted. ¨Come on, Chloe! Don´t you think I wouldn´t remember what kind of a reporter he was at The Torch? ¨

¨He´s come a long way since then, ¨ she defended him.

¨You mean the guy in the blue spandex, not the farm boy who uses his job at The Planet as a cover-up, ¨ he said mockingly.

¨Let´s leave him out of this conversation, shall we? ¨she said bitterly.

¨Chloe, I´m sorry, ¨he responded smoothly, leaving his swivel chair and walking around the desk to get closer to her. ¨You knew this was bound to happen when you decided to renew your acquaintance with me. Clark... ¨

¨This isn´t about him, Lex. This is about your stupid need to pay for having me back in your life. You don´t owe me anything, Lex. I´m here because I want to, ¨she said passionately. ¨I´m not going anywhere, ¨she said with a tremor in her voice. ¨And I don´t want you twisting anybody´s arm to let me have what you assume I want more than anything in this world, ¨she finished, averting her eyes lest they betrayed her innermost thoughts.

¨Working for The Planet has always been your dream, Chloe, ¨he stated as he pondered the words she had just uttered.

¨Well, not any more, ¨she said tightly. ¨I´m fine where I am, Lex. I like my job at The Herald. It´s not as if I were getting my salary from The Inquisitor, for God´s sake! ¨

¨You know I´d never ask you to give up your dreams because of me, Chloe, ¨he insisted, placing both hands on her shoulders.

¨I resigned my job at The Planet a long time ago, Lex. I can assure you it had nothing to do with you, ¨ she told him.

¨But don´t you want it back? ¨he egged on.

¨I told you I´m satisfied with what I have, ¨she responded, holding his gaze and feeling the hammering of her heart in her chest.

¨Are you? ¨he murmured cryptically, cupping her face in one hand and searching the answer in her eyes.

Chloe was trembling like a leaf now that the adrenaline which had driven to his office was wearing off. She wasn´t sure Lex´s question referred to her refusal to accept the job Perry White had offered her at the paper. Could it be he was hinting at something else? If only he talked straightforwardly, but Lex had always had a way with words and hidden meanings and his sudden proximity wasn´t helping Chloe´s ability to read him at all. His intoxicating masculine perfume invaded her nostrils and his powerful aura enveloped her, making her feel safe and, at the same time, provoking her to run away and hide. She´d never been a coward, but as much as she loved Lex, she was afraid of the rollercoaster of emotions entailed in an intimate relationship with a complex man such as him. Lex´s mercurial and passionate nature was unlike any man´s she´d known, and she couldn´t help but yearn and fear that all-consuming fire in equal measure.

He knew what she felt for him, he had to. He might have had doubts about the true nature of her present feelings but, after what she had told him or tried not to tell him in so many words today, there was very small room for doubt. Now the question remained... did he feel about her the way he had that summer or had his relationship with Lana made him too cynical to believe in a woman´s profession of love?

Lex looked into the hazel green eyes with which he had fallen in love when he was twenty-three and saw a myriad of emotions reflected in them. Four months ago both had opened unhealed wounds in the living room of his penthouse, a few of which had made him re-evaluate some of the decisions he had taken back in Smallville the summer his father was in jail, and now he couldn´t imagine his life without Chloe in it. She had become as indispensible as the air he breathed and, in his desperation to tie her to him, he had used all the means at his disposal to get her the one thing she had always dreamt of- a job at The Planet with a better salary and hierarchy than those of Clark or her obnoxious cousin Lois.

¨I´m mad at you, you know, ¨she murmured in a defeated voice.

¨I know. I´m sorry, Chloe. It was never my intention to make things more difficult for you. On the contrary... ¨he responded, walking towards the panoramic window in front of which she was standing with her back to him.

¨Well, at least, you didn´t go all the way and bought the damn newspaper again to give it to me with a bow, ¨she sighed, dumping her coat on an armchair and noticing the door of the adjacent room was ajar. ¨You´ve brought her to the office this morning. Where´s Mrs Robertson? ¨she added, walking into the playroom.

¨I gave her the weekend off. She wanted to visit her daughter and her newly-born grandson, ¨he explained.

¨Hello, sweetie, ¨cooed Chloe, picking Lilly up and feeling a tightening in her chest when the baby flashed her a smile and pulled at her now long hair with a small fist. ¨You look more beautiful each passing day. I can almost see your dad cleaning one of his best guns to keep your suitors at bay when you´re in junior high, ¨she laughed, shooting a glance at Lex, who was leaning casually against the doorframe.

¨That´s a long time away, ¨ he responded with the ghost of a smile.

¨Oh, I don´t know, Lex! Time flies away, doesn´t it? ¨she replied, tickling Lillian.

¨Chloe? ¨he uttered, swallowing the lump in his throat.

¨Yes? ¨she turned around to face him with the girl cradled in her arms.

¨I was wondering... Next Friday´s our first formal appointment with her speech therapist... Would you..., ¨he mumbled, hating being suddenly inarticulate.

¨I´d be honoured, Lex, ¨she croaked, feeling her eyes prickle with tears.


	2. Learning to Live Again

**CHAPTER 2:** Learning to Live Again

_METROPOLIS CITY CENTRE- SATURDAY 10 a.m. _

A month had gone by since the day Chloe had barged into Lex´s office at LuthorCorp Plaza, and their sometimes stormy relationship was back on track. She told herself the place they were in now was exactly what she wanted- he seemed to have accepted her plea for him not to interfere in the only thing she could claim hers, and his request that she share Lillian´s sessions with the therapist had been the perfect olive branch.

However, being part of the girl´s rehabilitation was hastening Chloe´s breaking point- something had to change and soon before she made a fool of herself in front of Lex. Running away now was out of the question; she would never do that the children, and she knew that she was being a masochist, but she couldn´t give up Lex again. She´d rather have him as a friend than not have him in her life at all-anything was better than the years of resentment that had kept them apart for so long.

Chloe had always been a realist; she was aware that getting to the heart of someone who had been hurt so many times, wouldn´t be an easy feat; still, she had faith. There were times when she thought she was deluding herself, times when he closed up like a clam and erected that cold barrier she wanted to break with a hammer, but there were also occasions on which she saw a glimmer of something in his eyes when he thought she wasn´t looking - she was afraid to give it a name lest it vanish into thin air.

Today was Saturday morning and Chloe had got a call from Lois the night before, inviting her to go on a shopping spree and have a chat over coffee- decaf for the expecting mum. Chloe had almost turned her down with the excuse of having to finish an article, only to change her mind at the last minute.

¨Hey, cuz, how about that one? ¨ asked Lois, pursing her lips in front of the shop window of an excellent boutique.

¨Yeah, right, ¨ responded the blonde reporter, eying the black velvet dress on display. ¨Where would I find the money to buy that dress? ¨

¨What are credit cards for? Don´t worry about expenses, Chlo´. You´ll need it for one night, right? You just have to be careful not to pull off the tags, and you can return it on Monday alleging you´re not satisfied with the purchase, ¨Lois cocked an eyebrow.

¨Lo´, that´d be dishonest! ¨exclaimed Chloe, taking her cousin by the arm and trying to drag her away from the window.

¨Look who´s talking- the girl who´s hanging around with the Prince of Subterfuge! ¨snorted the brunette.

¨That was low, Lois, ¨glared Chloe, releasing her arm.

¨OK, OK, ¨Lois raised her arms in defeat. ¨I agree he´s trying to change, and that he´s been on his best behaviour of late. But, do you honestly believe _he_ would let something as small as a price tag stand in his way to get what he wants? ¨

¨He´s never had to worry about his budget, Lo´! He´s a freaking billionaire! ¨exclaimed Chloe, shooting a sidelong glance at the dress.

¨You love it, don´t you? ¨smirked the eldest young woman.

¨It´s not a question of loving it or not. It´s... ¨Chloe shook her head.

¨Come on, cuz! With your hips and your boo... OK, no need to frown! Y_our natural endowments_... you´ll have him eating out of your hand, ¨she smiled conspiratorially.

¨You make it sound as if I were trying to jump him, ¨frowned the petite blonde.

¨And aren´t you? Be honest, cuz, I´ve seen the way you look at him when you think he isn´t watching, and you should see your face when you talk about him and those kids, ¨responded Lois gravely.

¨I´m not looking for a rumple on his sheets or to be anyone´s second best, ¨Chloe replied coldly.

¨You´ve taken my words the wrong way, Chlo´. I know he means more to you than that, and as to your being second-best... any man who could ever consider you second to any bimbo deserves to be hanged. Lex and I may not see eye to eye on most things, but he isn´t a fool. Don´t you think he knows you´re worth a thousand Lanas? After what that bitch did to him and their babies... I´m sure he knows he hit the jackpot when you walked back into his life, ¨said Lois passionately.

¨I never thought I´d see the day when Lois Lane would stand up for a Luthor, ¨murmured Chloe with a small smile.

¨Don´t tell him I said that. I´ll deny it to my dying day. Besides... my speech was an attempt to sing your praises not to boost his already inflated ego, ¨stated Clark Kent´s wife with a grimace.

¨That´s more like the Lois I know and love, ¨laughed the younger cousin, wrapping an arm around Lois´ waist and placing a hand on the already rounded womb. ¨Was that a kick? ¨she cocked an eyebrow.

¨No, that was just a flutter, ¨sighed the pregnant reporter. ¨I hope the boy´s sensible enough to wait until I´ve delivered him to show all his might, ¨she shuddered.

¨How´s daddy? ¨ asked Chloe with a tremor in her voice.

¨Chlo´, it kills me to see you two so distant. You know he´s pig-headed; I swear, if I didn´t know what I know, I´d bet my life the blood that flows through his veins is 100 unadulterated Kent. Still, you know that he loves you and only wants what´s best for you, ¨responded Lois, covering Chloe´s hand with hers.

¨He hurt me, Lo´. What he said shows he has no faith in me and my ability to see things as they really are. He treated me the same way he used to treat Lana, and I´m not like her- I don´t need to be sheltered like a stupid kid. I´m not an egotistic girl who can´t see or face the ugly truths of life. I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to let Lex back into my life, but it was my choice to make, ¨said Chloe with tears in her eyes.

¨Give him some time. He´ll come around eventually, ¨Lois hugged her.

¨I´m not so sure. He hates Lex and still resents him for what he thinks Lex did to Lana, ¨said the blonde curtly.

¨I wouldn´t bet on that, ¨smirked Superman´s wife.

¨You mean he doesn´t hate Lex anymore? ¨frowned Chloe.

¨No, he hasn´t turned a Lex-lover overnight, but let´s just say Lana´s no longer on Clark Kent´s pedestal, ¨grinned Lois wolfishly.

¨Lo´, what have you done! ¨exclaimed Gabe´s only daughter with a mischievous smile.

¨Do you want Luthor or not, cuz? ´Cause I can tell you there´s a long queue of brunette´s waiting to put their clutches on him, ¨Lois prodded her on. ¨Come on! ¨she nudged her in the ribs. ¨You get the dress, and I´ll take care of the rest. ¨

¨OK, you win, ¨responded Chloe resignedly.

¨Luthor won´t know what´s hit him, ¨whispered General Lane´s army brat, pushing the glass door open.

_LEX´S PENTHOUSE- SATURDAY 5 p.m._

Chloe had arrived at Lex´s penthouse around four and found him in his private study amidst heaps of dossiers and scribbled notes; it seemed heavy artillery would be needed to drag him away from that damn LuthorCorp paperwork.

After preparing a carafe of freshly-made coffee and pouring him a cup, she left him to his world- domination plans to check on the kids. Lilly was taking her daily nap and Alex was with his nose in an old encyclopaedia- leave it to a son of Lex´s to prefer musty books to playing cops and robbers.

_´Well, Lois. You´ve promised to help me, so you´d better have an idea other than me doing a striptease in the middle of Lex´s study to make him stop work for the weekend,´_ she told herself as she fished in her bag for her mobile phone. ¨Hi, Lo´! Remember what we talked about this morning? Yeah... well, I´ve decided to go along with it... The problem is... I need a little help... I won´t do that! Who do you take me for? Besides, you seem to forget I´ve never... you know, ¨she blushed, shrugging her shoulders. ¨She´s there? Could you ask her if she´d do me that favour? I know it´s a lot to ask... OK... I´ll wait, ¨ she continued, biting her lower lip and counting the 

minutes. ¨Yes, I´m here. She said ´yes´? Oh, Lois, thanks! Tell her I´ll see they let her go up. And Lois? I´ll buy you lunch next time, ¨she smiled, flipping the mobile shut and taking a deep breath.

Lex was typing the reply to the last e-mail in his inbox when he heard Chloe quietly open the double doors of his inner sanctum.

¨It´s five o´clock on a Saturday afternoon, Lex. I know you´ve got plans to rule the world before you turn forty, but don´t you think it´s time to call it a day? ¨she chastised him as she lowered in the chair across his desk.

¨I´ve got to go over some papers for next week´s board meeting, ¨he responded calmly, stretching an arm to grab a blue folder only to be stopped by the hand of the relentless blonde who had turned his life upside down.

¨Lex, there won´t be a board meeting but a funeral next week if you don´t learnt to wind down, ¨ she snapped, snatching the dossier away from him.

¨Chloe... ¨he said coldly.

¨It´s been five months, Lex. When do you plan to start living again? ¨she interrupted him, holding his stormy blue-grey eyes.

¨The children need me, and a corporation like the one I run won´t survive unless there´s someone at the helm, ¨he responded tensely.

¨I´m not saying you should neglect your duties. I´m just saying there´s more to life than work. You don´t need to prove anything, Lex, ¨she continued as he walked to the wet bar to uncap a bottle of Tŷ Nant.

¨Don´t I?¨ he smiled ironically, taking a swing at the bottle.

¨Your father´s been dead... how long, Lex? You don´t have to prove anything to him anymore. And if you´re doing this for your children, let me tell you they know who you are; al least, Alex does. He knows you´ve always been there for him and Lilly. You shouldn´t be afraid of ever being mistaken for an unnatural father like yours, ¨she told Lex, coming closer to him.

¨Sometimes I think no matter what I do, it´ll never be enough to compensate them for what Lana did to them both, ¨he croaked, tightening the hold on the blue bottle.

¨They know they have a dad who loves them and, you´re right, they need you. That´s why you´ve got to learn when to stop. If I don´t remember incorrectly, you asked me to teach you how to do it a few months ago. Don´t tell me you´ve changed your mind, ¨she finished, seeing something flicker in his eyes before he took a last swing at the bottle of spring water.

¨What did you have in mind? ¨he smirked, seeing her flush. ¨I´m open to suggestions, ¨he said in a seductive tone.

¨Dinner. Maybe going to the theatre,¨ she shrugged her shoulders.

¨Really? ¨he cocked an eyebrow.

¨Lex, ¨she warned him.

¨It sounds nice, Chloe, but I´m afraid I´ll have to take a rain check. Mrs Robertson´s out of town and the only person I´d trust my children to would be otherwise occupied, ¨he answered, throwing the empty bottle in the wastepaper basket. ¨Still, we could... ¨

¨I´ve got that covered, ¨she cut him off.

¨You´ve got what covered? ¨he frowned, boring his eyes into her.

¨Saved by the bell! ¨she laughed, walking towards the double doors.

¨I´m not leaving my children with Lois, Chloe. God knows what vocabulary Alex might pick up from her, ¨he shouted at her receding back.

¨God, Lex! I´d never taken you for a prude, ¨she chuckled on her way to the penthouse´s front door.

¨Chloe, I´m not kidding. We´ll stay here. I´ll cook you dinner if you want, and let you pick a movie from my DVD collection. Just keep your cou... ¨he went on as he tagged along.

¨Hello, Martha! ¨exclaimed a beaming Chloe, swinging the door open and hugging the older woman tightly.

¨Hello, sweetie, ¨responded a motherly Martha, kissing her son´s best high school friend affectionately. ¨How are you, Lex? ¨she smiled over Chloe´s shoulder at the tall lean young man, who was standing a few feet away from them, with his hands deep in the pockets.

¨Mrs Kent, ¨he responded with a sincere smile.

Once again Chloe had beaten him. Clark´s mum. There was no one more suitable in the world to be entrusted the care of two of his most valuable treasures.


	3. Afraid

**CHAPTER 3:** Afraid

_LILLIAN´S NURSERY ROOM- 5.20 p.m._

Martha had been at Clark´s when Lois answered Chloe´s cry for help. It hadn´t taken much to convince Mrs Kent to come to the rescue, especially when little ones were involved. Moreover, she cared for Chloe as if the girl were her own daughter and, despite the fallout between Lex and Clark, Martha had always felt a special affection for the tortured boy. ¨They deserve to be happy and so do those innocent babies. Of course I´ll go, ¨she had told her daughter-in-law.

Now she was in the nursery room where Lilly lay asleep in her crib, and the smell of baby powder and cologne tugged at her motherly heart.

¨Chloe wasn´t lying, Lex. She´s a little angel. I´ve never seen a baby girl as beautiful in sleep, ¨said Martha warmly, caressing Lilly´s cheek and raising her eyes to meet the young man´s.

¨Sometimes I look at her and... can´t believe my blood runs through her veins, ¨he murmured, stepping closer to straighten up the small sheet.

Martha looked at the boy´s profile and cursed Lionel Luthor for his constant attempts to crush his only surviving son´s self-esteem.

¨Your mother´s blood runs through her veins as well, Lex, ¨she told him, placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to stir him from his gloomy mood.

¨Thanks, Mrs Kent, ¨he responded with a tense smile, slipping his hands in the pockets of his trousers- a defensive gesture Martha remembered from his days in Smallville.

¨There´s nothing to thank me for, sweetie. Now, why don´t you go and get changed? I´ll watch over Lilly. Chloe´s told me the time for her bottle´ll be in ten minutes, so I´ll be here when she wakes up, ¨she shooed him away.

A quarter of an hour later Chloe walked into the nursery room to find Martha sitting in the rocking chair bottle-feeding the baby.

¨I´m sorry. It took me a few minutes more than I´d planned, Mrs Kent, ¨apologised Chloe. ¨I knew Lilly´d feel comfortable with you, ¨she smiled, getting closer to Martha.

¨She´s so perfect, ¨said Clark´s mum, looking into a pair of blue-grey eyes which clearly showed the baby´s parentage.

¨I told Lex she´ll be a heartbreaker at Junior High, ¨added Chloe as she watched Lilly latch on the tit with enthusiasm.

¨And who´s that young man over there? ¨said Martha, looking towards the door.

¨Alex! ¨ beamed Chloe. ¨Why don´t you come over and say ´Hi!´ This is Martha, Clark´s mum. You remember my cousin Lois, right? Martha´s her mother-in-law. ¨

¨You´ve all grown up since I last saw you, ¨Mrs Kent told him warmly as she placed Lilly on her shoulder to burp her.

A silent Alex looked at the reddish-brown-haired woman holding his little sister and then fixed his eyes on Chloe, who was wearing an unbuttoned long black coat over the stylish dress Lois had insisted she should buy.

¨Hey, buddy, what´s wrong? ¨asked Chloe with concern in her voice when the boy rushed to where she was standing and wrapped his arms tightly round her hips. ¨Alex? ¨she insisted when the child pressed his cheek on her lower abdomen and she felt him tremble. ¨What´s wrong, Alex? ¨she ruffled the boy´s reddish-brown locks with a hint of panic in her voice- he had never been that clingy and, although she didn´t mind the embrace, she felt a kind of desperation in the gesture.

Martha and Chloe exchanged worried looks when the child fled from the room, disturbing the harmonious atmosphere of a few minutes ago.

¨I´d better go and see what´s wrong, ¨Chloe told Clark´s mum.

¨Sure. I´ll put the baby to bed in the meantime, ¨smiled the older woman.

Alex´s bedroom was just across his sister´s and, although Chloe knew Lex had stashed away all keys as a means of precaution lest the boy get accidentally locked in while playing- she didn´t push the unlocked door open but knocked on it before entering.

¨Alex, can I come in? ¨she asked, opening the door just a crack.

The boy didn´t answer, but Chloe stepped in when she saw him splayed face down on the bed. Something was definitely wrong, and she had every intention of finding what it was.

¨Alex, honey, why don´t you tell me what´s wrong? You know you can tell me anything. What´s bothering you? ¨she asked softly, sitting on the bed and combing her fingers through his hair. ¨Alex? ¨

¨I don´t want you to go away, ¨came the muffled response.

¨What makes you think I´m going away? ¨answered the blonde woman.

¨Why are you wearing that dress? ¨ he asked in a shaky voice.

¨Don´t you like it? ¨said she with a grim foreboding.

¨Mum always put on pretty dressed, ¨he added tensely.

¨Oh, honey! ¨sighed the young woman, confirming her suspicions. ¨I´m only dressed up nicely to go out with your daddy tonight. ¨

¨I don´t want you to leave, ¨he sniffed, fisting the pillow.

¨Alex, look at me, baby, ¨she told him, swallowing the lump in her throat. ¨I´m not going anywhere. All right? ¨she went on, wiping the tears away from the boy´s face. ¨I´m coming tomorrow afternoon as promised. We´re going to the zoo, remember? ¨

¨Won´t you stay here tonight? ¨he asked with a forlorn look.

¨I don´t live here, Alex, ¨she explained, brushing some reddish hairs off his forehead.

¨But I want you to, and Lilly does too. I know she does, ¨he insisted with glassy eyes.

¨Come here, ¨she told him, and the boy flung himself into her open arms. ¨You know I love you, Alex, don´t you? ¨she kissed him on the head. ¨There´s nothing to be afraid of. I´m not going anywhere, OK? Even if I don´t live with you, I´ll always be here for you and Lilly, ¨she hugged him tightly.

¨Don´t tell dad that I´ve cried, ¨he replied, placing his head on her shoulder and clinging to her neck.

¨Crying´s all right, Alex. Your dad won´t get mad at you. You know... Can I tell you a secret? ¨she whispered in his ear.

¨Mm, ¨he nodded.

¨I´ve seen him cry too, ¨she confessed.

¨You´ve seen dad cry? ¨he replied with a surprised look on his face. ¨When? ¨

¨Oh, many years ago! But don´t tell him that I told you, OK? It´ll be our little secret. So you see, Alex, men can cry too. It´s nothing to be ashamed of. It´s good to cry from time to time, ¨she smiled, blinking to chase away the moisture from her own eyes.

¨Do you also cry? ¨he asked gravely, using a tone of voice which would have made Lex proud.

¨Oh, lots! ¨she laughed, pinching his nose.

Lex felt a clench in the gut when he overheard his son pouring his utmost fears into Chloe´s understanding ears. Witnessing the nurturing scene between them had further convinced Lex of what an extraordinary Chloe was while, at the same time, it had shown him they were playing a dangerous game. Not only he himself had developed a strong addiction to the blonde, but his children had also become extremely attached to her in the last five months. The state of affairs meant that if he were to commit a faux-pas and alienate Chloe, it wouldn´t be just two people hurt in the process this time, and such a danger scared Lex witless.

Getting caught snooping would have rendered the situation even more uncomfortable so Lex removed himself from the doorway stealthily; he´d take a few minutes to collect himself in the privacy of his room and then come out under the pretence of just having finished his ablutions. Someone would know the truth, though- Martha Kent. Clark´s mum had seen him standing outside Alex´s door and he was sure she had heard most of the conversation from the nursery, which was just across. Lex and Martha had crossed looks when he turned around to go back to his quarters and the sympathetic gentle smile on her face had said it all.

Ten minutes later a freshened-up Chloe walked back into the nursery to find Lilly already in bed but still awake.

¨Her teeth are giving her some discomfort, ¨said Martha, giving the baby girl a teething ring.

¨It´s amazing how fast they grow up, isn´t it? ¨responded Chloe nervously.

¨Is everything OK, sweetie? ¨asked Martha concerned.

¨It is now, I guess, ¨the reporter lifted her eyebrows. ¨I don´t know, Martha. Sometimes I feel I´ve taken on too much. Half the times I just don´t know what I´m doing. I´m scared of blowing it, of saying or doing something that might do more harm than good. ¨

¨That´s exactly what motherhood feels like. It´s frightening, but I wouldn´t change it for the world. ¨

¨Yes, Martha, but I´m not their mother, ¨murmured Chloe, letting Lilly grip one of her fingers tightly.

¨You´re not their biological mother- neither am I Clark´s – but you love them and they you and that´s what matters, ¨said Martha quietly, squeezing Chloe´s arm gently.

¨Your situation and mine are completely different, though. You were a family when Clark came along. Don´t get me wrong, I appreciate having them in my life but it´s just... ¨answered Chloe in a raspy voice.

¨You´re afraid Lex might get spooked and drive you away once they´re back on their feet so to speak? ¨asked Martha, studying the young woman´s face. ¨He´d never do anything to hurt these kids, ¨she added when she saw Chloe nod. ¨He knows the bond you have with them´s too strong. ¨

¨I´m aware of that, Martha; he´s everything Lionel never was for him as a father, and that makes me so proud. But I´m afraid sometimes he´s so focused on not failing them that he´s forgetting to live. ¨

¨Well, that´s what this outing´s all about, isn´t it? I think I know where this is coming from, sweetie. It´s written all over your face. You´re afraid of your feelings for him and of what he´ll do about them, ¨said Martha sagely. ¨He isn´t Clark, Chloe. He isn´t clueless. I love my son but, sometimes you have to hit him with a hammer for him to see what´s right in front of his eyes, ¨she chuckled.

¨I hope you´re right because, although I tell myself being friends is better than nothing, deep in my heart I know it isn´t true, ¨she said shakily, hearing Lex´s bedroom door open.

¨You look beautiful, Chloe. Set your heart at rest, everything´ll turn out all right, ¨Martha told her as she took the young woman´s hands in hers and pressed a motherly kiss on her cheek.

¨Well, here I am, ladies. The limo´s waiting for us, Chloe. Shall we go? ¨asked a perfectly composed Lex, looking dashing in an Armani dinner jacket.

Chloe fixed Martha with a questioning glance needing the woman to reassure her she hadn´t ruined her make-up once again.

¨Yes, you´d better go, ¨answered Clark´s mum, adding an imperceptible nod addressed to Chloe, ¨the show starts in forty minutes. I´ll fix Alex and me some dinner and we´ll watch some cartoons Lois has rented. ¨

¨I´ll go get my purse, ¨smiled Chloe, turning around to face Lex, feeling her knees suddenly weak.

¨Wait for me in the foyer, Chloe. I´d like to have a word with Martha before we leave, ¨he told Gabe´s only daughter as she crossed the threshold.

¨OK. I´ll say goodnight to Alex, ¨ she responded a little short of breath.

Martha observed the patrician young man´s face and body language when he followed Chloe´s receding figure with his eyes; there was no doubt in her mind they both felt the same way for each other.

¨Mrs Kent... ¨began Lex, stepping into the nursery room. ¨I really don´t know what I can do or say to thank you... ¨

¨We´ve been over this, Lex. I´ve already told you it´s a pleasure for me to watch over your kids... You need this... and so does Chloe. When Jonathan died... ¨she shook her head ¨... I tried to focus on what I had left. Clark and the farm became my life... but there comes a time when you also have to start thinking about yourself. You´re young, Lex, and so is Chloe. She´s been hurt almost as many times as you have, and she´s scared... as scared as, I´m sure, you are. ¨

¨You know I care about her, Mrs Kent, don´t you? I´d never do anything to hurt her, but I´ve seen what she´s sacrificed because of me. ¨

¨It was her choice to make, Lex. Now, if you´re worried about her friendship with Clark... let me tell you... my son can be as stubborn as his late dad. Lois´lll handle him just as I handled Jonathan and things´ll get back on track. ¨

¨I know how important their friendship´s for Chloe- just as important as her profession. I didn´t want her connection with me to destroy her dreams... ¨

¨You´re both adults, Lex. As far as I know, she´s happy with her job at The Herald- at least, that´s what I think based on what Lois and Chloe herself have told me. We talked a lot when she used to come to Smallville to interview me during my term of office; and my impression was she liked what she was doing. If you feel there´s something in her life she´s dissatisfied with, maybe you should ask her what her dreams really are. Chances are they´re similar to yours. ¨

¨Martha, I´ve never been good at heart-to-heart conversations. I´ve been taught to use words to manipulate, outmanoeuvre or hurt people. I´ve mastered the art of extricating myself from tight spots using my wit, but this is one tight spot I don´t know how to handle with words. ¨

¨Then, don´t speak. Show her. You don´t need to resort to Luthor grand gestures. She´s taken the first step organising this outing with Lois´ help. She´s exposed herself to heartbreak; now´s your turn to decide what you´ll do about it. Don´t let the chance to be happy pass you by, Lex. ¨


	4. Restraint

**CHAPTER 4:** Restraint

Martha Kent was an extraordinary human being in more ways than one. Not only was she an accomplished housewife, a loving mother, a faithful wife and a real asset to the US Congress but she was a very intuitive and sage woman in the bargain. Ever since their first encounter Lex had felt and immediate connection with her, a bond like the one which had been tragically severed the day his mum had passed away. There was something about Martha Kent which made him feel protected and understood; she was the maternal figure who knew what ailed a child without the need for words- a lot like Chloe when it came to his own son.

Chloe. She had almost knocked his breath away when they were ushered to the box at the theatre and he helped her take off that long black overcoat. He had taken a peek at the front of the dress at the penthouse and liked what he´d seen, but nothing had prepared him for the impact of seeing that long expanse of creamy freckled skin displayed by a deep décolletage.

Lex knew how self-conscious Chloe was about her body, and he couldn´t help but feel surprised at her choice of wardrobe. Less than a month ago they had ended up talking about artificially enhanced bodies, and she had joked playfully about his ´perfect curvy long-legged brunettes´. However, Lex was no fool and read between the lines- she was worried about his comparing her with other women and finding her lacking.

His eyes roamed her back and appreciated the way the dress hugged her curves and her hips- the perfect hips to carry a child, his child. How in the world could she think he would find her lacking? He knew she had been controlling her calorie-intake; he had seen her cut down on her craving for chocolate and turn down the desserts he knew she was crazy about. The fact that she was doing all that for him, to get what was already hers, made him love her even more. She could eat all the chocolate in the world and wear a sack of potatoes for all he cared- there was a lot more to love about Chloe than her physique. Still, he was a hot-blooded man, and he couldn´t deny he had never felt more sexually attracted to her than the moment she slipped out of that overcoat. Although, if he had to be honest with himself, it had all begun with the scene he had witnessed in Alex´s room.

Throughout the play, a performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein´s South Pacific- a romance between a young woman and a widower with two children... ´Really subtle, Lane.´- Lex had found it really hard to fight the urge to touch her. He chided his body for making him feel like a stupid adolescent driven by his hormones. Chloe deserved better than having to deal with a young healthy man in his prime who had been sex-starved for almost nineteen months. What they had managed to rebuild went beyond the physical attraction and the sparks which had been there ever since they met at the office of The Torch so many years ago. He wanted her, yes, but as a lot more than another notch on his belt.

Chloe was sitting next to Lex in the limousine- close enough to smell his heady cologne but far enough to prevent brushing against him by accident. She knew something had changed or, rather, some veil had lifted; she had sensed it in the theatre box when the sexual tension between them had made her feel conscious of her body like never before. She could still perceive that state of arousal and looked out of the car window to hide the roses in her cheeks. There was still dinner ahead and she didn´t know how she´d be able to live it through, facing Lex across the table without the protection offered by the dimmed lights of the theatre.

¨Is everything OK, Chloe? ¨asked Lex softly, studying her profile and noticing the quickened pulse on her delicate throat.

¨Yes, ¨she responded, flashing him a quick smile he remembered from the days when she pined for Clark and tried to put the farmboy at ease after he had inadvertently hurt her. ¨You hated it, didn´t you? ¨

¨What? ¨he asked with a puzzled frown.

¨The show. You seemed distracted at times, ¨she replied, toying with the gold bracelet her dad had given her when she turned sixteen.

¨If I seemed distracted at times, it wasn´t because I found it boring. I admit I´m more of an opera animal, but I´ve always found either Hammerstein or Sondheim above par. What about you? Did you enjoy it? ¨he smirked.

¨Yes, I did. The guy that played Emile was pretty decent and the children were really cute, ¨she smiled, feeling a little more relaxed now that the ten-minute silence had been broken and they were chatting about musical tastes.

¨I´d say it was quite good all in all. There was drama, death, love, a lot of prejudice and several characters fond of snooping... it kind of reminded me of our good old days in Smallville, ¨he said ironically.

¨Yeah, well, Lois certainly does have a sense of humour, ¨chuckled Chloe. ¨Besides, it was either this or two tickets to a sumo-wrestling championship at Metropolis Arena, ¨she gagged.

¨Who the hell does Lois owe favours to? ¨he asked with a lopsided grin.

¨You´d better not ask. Now that she´s expecting, I suppose Clark will keep her on a shorter leash, ¨responded the blonde reporter.

¨I´d love to see that, ¨he shook his head. ¨We´ve arrived, ¨he added when the limo rolled to a stop. ¨I´ve taken the liberty of choosing the restaurant. I don´t trust Lois´ culinary tastes that much, and that dress... ¨he said, offering his hand to help her get out of the car, ¨wasn´t meant for a Burger King. ¨

¨I don´t think Lois... ¨she frowned.

¨You´re right. She had got us a table at Enrico´s, but you´ll like this place better. Trust me, ¨he cut her off with a smug smile.

Les Escargots was a secluded fifteen-table restaurant owned by a couple of Parisian chefs. Even though it oozed luxury and good taste, there was a homely atmosphere to the place which toned down any pretence of ostentation. Lex was right; she liked his choice, maybe because it reminded her of him. All his life he had been judged by people who couldn´t see beyond his name or his millions- when, in truth, that appearance of rich spoilt brat was all smoke and mirrors. It just took a little patience to scratch the surface- if he let you- to see the flesh and blood human being behind the mask, the man that wanted what every man craved- to be loved.

¨So? ¨he cocked an eyebrow, once they were sitting at a table for two.

¨Wipe that smug look off your face, Luthor, ¨she answered, discreetly readjusting her dress.

¨Not overly-ostentatious? ¨he queried, accepting the wine list from the sommelier, who left the table quietly.

¨I´d say it´s very... ¨she scanned the room looking for a word to describe it while he tried not to get distracted by the gold pendant that rested just above the crease between her breasts.

¨Very? ¨he smirked.

¨_You_, ¨she said somewhat breathless, feeling the scorching look of his eyes on her.

¨And that´s a good or a bad thing? ¨he leant back on his chair, observing the way her right hand toyed with the charms on her bracelet.

¨It´s... good, ¨she smiled, meeting his eyes for a fleeting second before grabbing the menu to hide her discomfiture.

¨Is there anything on the menu that strikes your fancy? ¨he asked her after ordering the beverages.

Chloe had been browsing the dishes without really paying attention to what she was reading- the names were in French, and she had majored in it at college. No, the problem wasn´t the language but the realisation that they were virtually alone in the restaurant and that she felt nude and exposed. It didn´t matter that the dress covered her more than the shorts and tops she used to wear during the hot summers back in Smallville; it made her feel different... a sensual being... someone she´d never been when she was just Clark´s sidekick or one more of the gang. Of course the fact that she was with Lex and that he was looking at her with those smouldering blue-grey eyes of his heightened the experience.

¨Pardon? ¨she said, raising her eyes from the menu.

¨I said... Is there anything on the menu that strikes your fancy? ¨he repeated with a velvety tone which made her wonder if she was just letting herself be carried away and reading innuendo where there wasn´t any, or if he was actually trying to seduce her.

¨You´re the savvy one, Lex; I´m new to this. I trust you enough to let you lead the first time, ¨she responded calmly, closing the menu before setting it down on the table.

¨Are you sure, Chloe? ¨he asked gravely. ¨I can wait until you´re ready. There´s no need to rush. ¨

¨I´m sure, Lex. Next time, I´ll choose the restaurant and you´ll have whatever I have, no questions asked, ¨she answered jokingly.

¨Chloe? ¨he asked, leaning forward and taking her hands in his. ¨Did you mean what you said? ¨

¨What? That you´ll have to eat whatever I order next time? ¨she laughed nervously.

¨No, what you said before about not wanting to wait any more, ¨he responded, boring his eyes into her.

¨That depends. Was I hearing things or you meant what I thought you meant when you started talking about food? ¨she retorted, shuffling on her seat.

¨What do you think? ¨he cocked an eyebrow.

¨God, Lex! Why can´t we just say what we want to say without running in circles? ¨she exclaimed with anguish in her voice.

¨Habit maybe? ¨he shrugged his shoulders. ¨I´ve always enjoyed our verbal judo. ¨

¨What are we going to do about this? ¨she murmured intertwining her fingers with his.

¨I don´t want you to feel pressured to do anything about it. For the time being, it´s enough for me that we´ve admitted what we feel for each other... ¨he said in a low intimate voice, ¨in our own queer manner, ¨he smiled. ¨Listen, Chloe. If you´ve waited this long, it means you take it seriously, and I respect that. It should be your choice and nobody else´s. You mean too much to me to treat you any other way, and I expect more from this than one night of unbridled passion. ¨

¨You do? ¨she choked, feeling the prickling of tears behind her eyelids.

¨Chloe, hey, ¨he whispered, ¨I didn´t mean to make you cry, ¨he stretched out an arm to wipe away a treacherous tear which was rolling down her cheek.

¨I´m sorry, ¨she smiled , ¨these last few months I´ve been feeling like a stupid cry baby. ¨

Lex looked at the amazing young woman whose face he was cradling in one hand and wondered for the umpteenth time what he´d done to deserve being loved by her. She was crying tears of joy and relief, and he couldn´t remember ever feeling this happy, except maybe for the days when he had held Alex and Lilly for the first time.

Chloe saw Lex openly look at her the way she had dreamt of ever since that summer in exile. There was only one thing missing and she was wondering whether she´d get it, considering they´d poured out their hearts in a public place.

¨Lex? ¨she whispered a few centimetres away from his mouth.

¨What´s a declaration of love without a kiss? ¨he murmured, leaning forward and sealing her lips with a brief and tender kiss. ¨Hungry? ¨he asked close to her ear.

¨Starving, ¨she smiled.

¨Let´s order then, ¨he smiled back.

_2.10 a.m. SUNDAY- LEX´S LIMO_

Dinner at Les Escargots had been an unforgettable experience for both Chloe and Lex- a night they would treasure for years to come. The food had been first-class, as was to be expected of a cordon-bleu chef such as Henri, and the ambience the perfect setting for that heart-to-heart conversation they had both yearned and feared so much.

Their playful banter over dessert and coffee was followed by a snifter of Armagnac and Lex at the baby- grand piano. They were the only couple left in the restaurant by the time the front door was locked and Lex decided to sit at the instrument. Although Chloe knew he was an accomplished performer and she had seen in his study the piano he had brought back from the mansion, she had never heard him play- maybe because he considered it something too private.

They left at around two as the first drops of rain started to fall, and the intimate cocoon that had enveloped them at the French restaurant followed them to the interior of the limousine. It was in the back seat of the black car that they shared their first real kiss- a long leisurely kiss which made up for all the months of heartache and uncertainty.

Chloe followed his lead and opened to him with trust, giving as much as receiving, never once experiencing that choking sensation of being sucked into something she had no control over. Lex´s kisses were a long languid caress unlike everything she had lived through with Chance the only time he had turned up at her door half-drunken. Whereas that night- a lifetime ago- she had felt threatened and found herself completely at the mercy of someone else´s desires, now she felt completely safe. It didn´t matter that she noticed how aroused Lex was by the darkness of his pupils or the feel of his body against her sensitized skin, she knew he´d never go further unless she granted him permission.

Gabe´s beloved daughter had never admired the Luthor self-control more or appreciated in the flesh what love could do to tame a man who had been born and raised to be a predator than the night they had opened up their hearts.


	5. Cousins

**CHAPTER 5:** Cousins

_MONDAY 1 p.m.- THE HERALD´S BULLPEN_

Chloe had finished proofreading her editorial for the morning edition when her extension rang and brought her out of that state she was starting to think of as a Lex O.D.

¨Metropolis Herald. Sullivan speaking, ¨she answered, twisting the cord around her finger as she fidgeted with the small purple envelope and the initialised card she had got alongside a massive bunch of tulips- her favourite flowers.

¨Good afternoon, Cinderella. You promised to call your Fairy Godmother first thing in the morning, remember? What happened? The carriage turned into a pumpkin before you got home? ¨complained a grumpy voice.

¨Hi, Lo´!¨laughed Chloe.

¨Don´t ´Hi, Lo´!´ me, missy! I´ve been holding my horses all morning, thinking maybe it was better not to call you on your cell phone just in case I interrupted you love birds in the middle of some action... ¨barked her cousin.

¨Lois! ¨hissed Chloe. ¨Tell me you aren´t talking from the newsroom of The Planet where everybody can hear you. ¨

¨Don´t worry. I´m calling you from the elevator, and I don´t know any of the guys, ¨she told Chloe, casting a glance around her. ¨ What are you looking at? Hasn´t your momma told you it´s bad manners to eavesdrop? ¨

¨God, Lois! Who are you talking to? ¨exclaimed the blonde reporter, locking herself up in the photocopier room.

¨Some walking steroids in a suit, ¨she murmured, getting out of the lift on the ground floor of Metropolis´ leading newspaper.

¨You should be careful, Lois. One of these days you´ll piss somebody off with your big mouth. For Pete´s sake! I´m starting to think Clark was right about insisting you take a leave of absence now that you´re entering the third term, ¨Chloe responded, closing the blinds.

¨And who´d be covering the news while he´s gallivanting around the world doing his thing? I swear if Junior doesn´t make his appearance soon, I´ll seriously consider wearing a chastity belt and closing shop, ¨ranted the eldest cousin.

¨Those are your hormones speaking, Lois. You know you already love this baby and the whole maternity thing. ¨

¨Come on, Chlo´. Who are we kidding here? You´re the one who was born to be a mother. Look at you around Uncle Fester´s kids! Let´s face it, I´ve never been the nurturing kind. What the hell do I 

know about raising a kid- least of all a kid who shares Clark´s DNA? Remember how things turned out with Lucy? I screwed it big with her, Chloe, ¨sobbed the brunette.

¨Lois, take a deep breath, ¨replied Chloe with a soothing voice, trying to calm her hyperventilating on the other side of the line. ¨What happened with Lucy wasn´t your fault. ¨

¨Yeah, tell that to Lex and all those people she robbed blind, ¨ she said, blowing her nose. ¨I´ve failed her and dad. What kind of a model does that make me? ¨

¨Lois, raising a child can be a daunting enterprise, and I understand your fears better than anyone, but you have to stop blaming yourself for the choices your sister has made. You can´t keep paying for her mistakes. ¨

¨Oh! My quota of daily tears is up. God, I hate being pregnant! Now, how the hell did we end up talking about me and Junior? This phone call was supposed to be about you. So tell me, Chlo´, did the billionaire live up to his Sex God reputation? Don´t spare me any details, please, ¨she continued.

¨Lois, we went out to see a play and have dinner, ¨laughed Chloe.

¨Well, yes, I know... that was the enticement- and let´s not forget the dress. I can´t believe a man like him would remain indifferent to that masterpiece of haute couture and the natural curves that went with it. We´re not talking about my husband here... Clark would have turned red like Sup´s cape, then frozen like an ice statue and left it to me to make all the moves, but not Lex. Come on, cuz! Don´t keep me in suspense!¨

¨I told you, Lo´, we saw a play, had dinner... at Les Escargots... ¨

¨Les Escargots? Wow! That was quite an upgrade to my table for two at Enrico´s , but I can´t think of a better scenario for a seduction. So... what did you do over dinner? Did you feed each other a sinful chocolate mousse with a spoon? ¨

¨No! You know I´ve given up sweets, and chocolate was at the top of the list. ¨

¨Oh, sweetie. Then, tell me you didn´t go home empty-handed. You know what they say about chocolate. ¨

¨He played the piano for me. ¨

¨The piano? Not that boring classical stuff that was always blasting from daddy dearest´s stereo, right? Because that´s the best recipe to kill the mood- mine, at least. ¨

¨I can assure you if you had been there, your musical tastes would have changed. When someone plays with so much feeling and lets himself be so exposed... ¨said Chloe emotionally.

¨You cried. The bastard made you cry playing the piano. ¨

¨I never felt closer to him than we he played that Schubert´s Impromptu, Lo´.¨

¨OK, so we´ve established cue ball can move an audience with his piano skills. Now I want to know what happened to that dress you were wearing. Does it still qualify for a refund? ¨

¨God, Lois! What do you take us for? Sex maniacs? We just kissed. ¨

¨Kissed? After nineteen months of abstinence on his part and twelve years of repressed passion on yours you made do with a few stolen kisses? ¨she asked outraged.

¨Could you please repeat what you´ve just said? ¨asked Chloe tersely, starting to boil up.

¨What would you like me to repeat? That I can´t believe he passed on the opportunity to make a woman out of the only female specimen who has approached him either to fleece or murder him? Or that you got cold feet and denied yourself what I´ve seen with my eyes is already yours? ¨

¨How could you? ¨responded through clenched teeth.

¨How could I what? ¨

¨You´ve had him investigated behind my back. How else could you know ... ¨

¨That he hasn´t been with anyone since Lilly was conceived? ¨

¨What gives you the right to go digging into something so private, Lo´? ¨

¨Love. ¨

¨You´ve overstepped your boundaries this time, Lois. ¨

¨I wasn´t going to let you fall deeper for a man who could be either seeing someone else or engaging the services of some call girl or other. Be honest, Chloe, have you ever seen Lex alone since you met him in Smallville? The guy screams sin just by walking into a room. ¨

¨That´s not the point; I wasn´t expecting him to have remained a monk after Lana. ¨

¨But deep inside you wanted him to keep his marriage vows even after the bitch had passed away. I can´t blame you, Chloe, if something similar had happened to Clark and I found out he was getting attention elsewhere, I would have felt devastated. I had to make certain Lex was a hundred percent clean and unattached before handing him my little cuz on a silver platter. ¨

¨You might have helped me choose a dress for a night out, Lois, but it was me who decided to let Lex back in my life again. ¨

¨Chlo´... ¨

¨I´m mad at both you and Clark, Lo´. ¨

¨Sweetie, I just wanted to make sure he wouldn´t hurt you again. ¨

¨I don´t need guarantees. There are no guarantees he won´t hurt me, or I him, and I don´t want any. It´s enough for me to know that he loves me just as much as I love him. We´ll brave the storms as they come, alone- that´s what a committed relationship is like. Don´t ever try to interfere again, ¨she spat at Clark´s wife before hanging up on her.

Chloe closed her eyes and leant against a filing cabinet, hating the way her playful conversation with Lois had morphed into an argument. She hated even more the fact that Lois was right... she was overjoyed at the realisation that Lex hadn´t slept with anyone- not even with his adulterous wife- after Lilly was conceived. However, that knowledge was accompanied by a sudden pang of guilt when she recalled their ride back home and how hard Lex had fought to restrain his ardour. At the restaurant, when they were discussing what to order she had told him she was ready, but the truth of the matter was she felt grateful for the control he had relinquished to her in the back of the limo- a concession which went against his nature and upbringing.

He was still a Luthor- brooding, at times dark and manipulative. He hadn´t said the three big words, but he had shown her and that was more than she had ever dared dream of.


	6. The World Outside part 1

**CHAPTER 6:** The World Outside (Part 1)

_LUTHORCORP PLAZA- LEX´S PRIVATE OFFICE_

It was close to twelve on a Thursday morning and Lex had angled his swivel chair to admire the city landscape from his office on the top floor of LuthorCorp Plaza. Today they celebrated their first month as a couple, and Lex was finding it hard to believe they had reached that landmark without any mishaps.

He had tried hard to walk the line and, so far, he had succeeded. Still, his fatalistic nature- or rather, experience- kept telling him reality would intrude into the cocoon they had created. Lex Luthor was expecting the ´bomb´- whichever that bomb was- to fall on his lap.

Even though Chloe had made him believe in love again, Lex had seen everything good in his life eventually come to an abrupt and painful end too many times to take things for granted. He was aware that this month of romantic limbo would finish sooner or later; neither he nor Chloe had ever been the fairy tale type- they were too down-to-earth for that- but it felt good to enjoy being normal if only for a short while.

The previous Friday they had been to the speech therapist with Lilly and the baby had uttered her first word- which had sounded a lot like ´dad´ to the three pairs of ears. The triumph of hearing his daughter´s voice for the first time had made him seek refuge in the toilet to regain the composure the two women in his life seemed to be determined to make him lose. As much as he loved what Chloe was helping him build, he couldn´t afford to let all his defences down because he knew he´d need them when the time came to shelter them from the hostile world out there, a world which couldn´t stand to see a Luthor happy.

¨Luthor, ¨said Lex, taking a deep breath as he answered his mobile phone, knowing the day he had dreaded was finally there. ¨You´ve been paid very well to erase any trace that might lead back to me. It doesn´t matter that I resigned my candidacy; there´s a lot more at stake now than then. How´s this possible? All right, here´s what I want you to do. I want you to go over every file you compiled and dig up some more. Something must have been overlooked during your investigation... No, no! I want your report on my desk tomorrow evening. I don't care! Buy all the coffee in Brazil to keep you awake- you can afford it with the money I´m paying you by the hour. You and your team will have to work non-stop because I can´t afford losing everything over a stupid slip. Have I made myself clear? Good. I´ll see you tomorrow, ¨he seethed, slamming his mobile shut.

No matter how hard he´d worked at redeeming himself, the past was always coming back to haunt him. If only it had waited a little longer. Lex grabbed an onyx paperweight and, hurling it across the room, smashed the glass of the only framed picture he had of him and Lana holding Alex a few minutes after he was born. Almost on cue the intercom buzzed.

¨Yes? ¨he asked after taking a swing at a bottle of Tŷ Nant to pull himself together.

¨Miss Sullivan´s here to see you, sir. Should I tell her to come in? ¨ answered the cool professional assistant he had hired after Lionel´s death.

¨Give me a couple of minutes and send her in, Jessica, ¨he told the middle-aged woman, collecting the scattered shards and throwing them into the wastepaper basket. He removed the photo and, discarding the frame, stashed it away in the top drawer of his desk where he spotted the black velvet case he had there since last week. He looked at it and, pressing his lips together, slipped it into the left pocket of his jacket.

¨Hi! ¨beamed Chloe, crossing the threshold and meeting him halfway.

¨Hi, ¨he replied softly, threading the fingers of his left hand through the silken tresses of her shoulder-length hair to bring her closer for a kiss.

Chloe dropped the shopping bags she was carrying on the sofa to her left and opened her mouth to his gentle probing. She could taste the trace of vintage bourbon when their tongues mated and she wondered what demon was now chasing him. Almost a year ago, when they had resumed their friendship, they had reached an agreement: he wouldn´t resort to alcohol again to drown his sorrows or hide from pain, and he had kept his word until then.

The blonde reporter raised her hand and, touching his scalp, let her fingers graze the bump on the back- a move which never failed to get a sexy moan out of the in appearance unflappable Lex. The billionaire felt the caress of her hand on him and realised that he´d lose his tight control soon if he didn´t finish the kiss immediately. The previous week their make-out sessions had started getting progressively longer and more heated. He couldn´t but feel proud that he was the one teaching her to explore her sexuality and to feel comfortable with her own body. However, keeping his restraint when all he wanted was to get lost in her and consummate the love he felt for her- a love which made him want to be the man he knew he´d never be- was driving him crazy.

¨Lex, what´s wrong? ¨she asked breathless when he cupped her face and ended the kiss. ¨I could swear I heard glass breaking when I was outside your office, and you´ve been drinking, ¨she added, placing her hand on top of his.

¨Chloe... ¨he began.

¨Lex, I know there are things you´ll never share with me, things that you don´t want me to know about, but something tells me this has nothing to do with business, ¨she cut him off, locking his stormy blue-grey eyes with hers.

¨I´m in the middle of a big deal, Chloe. I´m a bit stressed out, that´s why I poured myself a bourbon today. There´s nothing to worry about... ¨

¨Well, I worry about you, Lex. And, because I worry about you, I came her to make sure you eat properly, ¨she said, picking up the bags she had dropped on the sofa and taking out several cartons of Thai food, napkins and everything they needed for an improvised meal at the office.

¨That was nice of you, Chloe, ¨he smiled tiredly when she finished setting the things down on the coffee table. ¨Come here, ¨he murmured, wrapping an arm round her waist from behind. ¨What would I do without you in my life? ¨he added next to her ear, pressing a kiss on her pulse.

¨Keep being your brooding, tortured self; continue making plans for world domination and taking to bed that crowd of brunettes that are always trying to leave you without a penny and kill you, ¨she chuckled.

¨I renounced brunettes and one-night stands a long-time ago, ¨he mouthed, nuzzling her neck and tightening his hold on her.

¨Lex, what´s bothering you? ¨she croaked.

¨That our food´s getting cold, ¨he responded, closing his eyes and burying his nose in her lemon-scented hair.


	7. The World Outside Part 2

**CHAPTER 6:** The World Outside (Part 2)

_Friday 6 p.m.- Boardroom at LuthorCorp Plaza _

¨This is what we´ve managed to find, Mr Luthor, ¨said the seasoned investigator, pushing a dossier towards his client across the long table.

¨Why wasn´t his name in the reports you handed to me last year? ¨ glared the young CEO.

¨There were over one hundred people and... ¨

¨There´s no excuse for being sloppy. When did he acquire this information? ¨asked Lex through clenched teeth, scanning the transcriptions and looking at an old photo of two university graduates wearing a robe and holding a new diploma. He just had to add a few grey hairs and a pair of glasses to recognise both men.

¨A week after the gossip columnist of The Daily Planet wrote that article about your re-acquaintance with Miss Sullivan, ¨answered the man seriously.

¨Is this all they´ve got? ¨asked Lex waving the transcripts. ¨You led me to believe they had something more, ¨he added, his eyes fixed on the seasoned PI in an unwavering stare.

¨These are the results of our preliminary investigation, Mr Luthor, ¨he responded, trying to appear calm in front of his employer.

¨Boulder´s threatened to leak whatever he has on me to the press and this has to be just the tip of the iceberg. I want the original tapes and all copies. I want them gone. Find them and destroy them. I don´t care what you have to do. And I want you to go digging into their old association with my father. There has to be a connection somewhere. Use a bulldozer if necessary... I need something to use as leverage. ¨

¨You realise this is circumstantial evidence, right? ¨the older man said with an intense look.

¨I know, but it´s enough to raise suspicion and it won´t matter if I´m to blame or not- it might set tongues wagging, and the last thing I need right now is for the public or any upstart reporter to resurrect anything connected with this tragedy, ¨he explained, closing the dossier. ¨I need to know what trick they´ve got up their sleeve. ¨

_Friday 7 p.m.- Lex´s Penthouse_

Blackmail and threats weren´t new to Lex; he had been the target of them all of his life and he wasn´t going to give in to them now.

Discovering that Lana had recorded the argument they had had in this very same living-room the night she had come back home at 2 a.m. after having the left the children alone for ten hours, made Lex wonder how long she had been registering their private conversations and what else she had on tape. The fact that she had left written instructions with a lawyer to have that night´s 

argument disclosed only when her husband´s relationship with Miss Chloe Sullivan were made public told Lex not just that Lana had know about their repressed feelings for each other, but that she had been twisted till the very end.

She must have known that the revelation of a Luthor threat would never be taken lightly by the public opinion- not with Lionel´s record and some of Lex´s own shady business deals. ´ ... If I ever catch you being indiscreet, rest assured I´ll pull the trigger myself- and you can be certain they´ll rule your death accidental. ´ His own words resonated in his mind. Yes, as Johansen had said, it was just circumstantial evidence, but the world didn´t need much to believe Lionel Luthor´s evil spawn capable of bringing down a plane with over a hundred passengers and crew for the sake of revenge.

Although Lex was almost certain Chloe would not set much store by that recording, there was Dr Emerson´s death and the police enquiry which had ended up a cold case. Johansen had been paid well to erase all traces that could lead back to Lex , but one could never be a hundred percent sure. Chloe had asked him once if he had done it, if he had murdered Emerson, and Lex had given her a cryptic answer that could be interpreted either way. She had said she would understand, that she would have done the same thing for her baby. Lex told himself that Emerson deserved it, that he deserved a bullet in his brain and more for what he had done to all those families and innocent babies. Lex didn´t regret the decision he´d taken at the time; he´d avenged many families and protected the lives of countless innocent mothers and children yet to be conceived. Now the question remained: would he be able to shelter his own family? It was impossible to know without having all the cards in his hands. What was it exactly Boulder and his associate had that made the latter so confident?

Lex loosened his tie and undid the first few buttons of his shirt. Bugs. Were there still microphones hidden in the penthouse or had Lana been wired? He wouldn´t know; she hadn´t let him touch her after the night on which Lilly was conceived and- in truth- he hadn´t wanted to. Whatever he had thought he once felt for her died when he realised Lana had never loved him, that she had betrayed him like everyone in his life he had let get close.

He looked around, clenching his fists and fighting the urge to start ripping the upholstery of the classy furniture- the sofa on which Chloe and he had spent last Monday kissing and cuddling; the armchair where he had sat cradling Lilly when she had stomach cramp or when she was teething. He remembered a morning back in Smallville when his father had stolen a 150-million-dollar deal from under him and he had hurled his state-of-the-art computer only to discover that daddy dearest had planted bugs in his study. Clark had found him trashing the room like a maniac – the stereo blasting out rock music at top volume.

Lex grabbed a Faberge egg he had bought at an auction seven years ago- the urge to hurl precious objects and start ripping the living-room was overwhelming , but he wasn´t alone in the house this time; there were the children and... Chloe... she was staying at the penthouse for the weekend while Mrs Robertson was in Omaha attending her grandson´s baptism.

He set down the Russian jewel and, taking a deep breath to control his hammering heart, walked to the nursery. Lilly was sleeping peacefully in a cute nightdress Chloe had bought her when she had said ´dad´ for the first time. Leaving the door ajar, he crossed the corridor and stepped quietly into Alex´s bedroom. There was no way in hell he would give up his children.

Chloe was lying outstretched on the single bed of the guest room with a book in her hands when she heard footsteps coming closer. For a moment she had dozed off in the lulling silence of the penthouse- it had been a busy day at the newspaper- and she woke up rather disoriented until she remembered she wasn´t in her tiny flat but at Lex´s.

She sat up on the bed and swung her legs to the side, slipping her shoes back on. She looked at her watch- it was quarter past seven in the evening, time for Lex to be back from the office. She was still somewhat drowsy from sleep and felt a little chilly, so she grabbed the cardigan she had tossed at the foot of the bed and put it on before walking out of the bedroom.

Lex was leaning against the doorpost of Alex´s room watching him sleep when Chloe stepped quietly behind him and snaked her arms around his waist, resting her cheek on his back.

¨You´re all coiled up, ¨she murmured, her voice muffled by the fabric of his dress shirt. ¨Have you had something to eat yet? ¨

¨I´m really not that hungry, ¨he responded gruffly, turning around and looking into her deep green eyes with an intensity which set Chloe´s heart racing.

¨Lex, ¨she said breathlessly.

¨Shh, ¨ he responded, pressing two fingers against her lips and whispering in her ear, ¨just humour me. ¨

Chloe could perceive he was in a strange mood. He looked at her with a possessiveness which made her tremble with anticipation. As he led her silently by the hand towards his own bedroom, she told herself the moment she had waited for four years had finally arrived.

Lex felt her tremble and noticed the tell-tale signs of sexual desire in her- her dilated pupils, her flushed cheeks and her aroused peaks. Having her near, just awaken from a nap... looking adorable with her tousled long hair... was wrecking havoc on him, and he hated the ill-timing. His body was urging him to take her once and for all, to put and end to the torture, but he opened the door of his bathroom instead and – tugging her gently to follow him in- proceeded to open all the taps at full blast.

¨Lex, what... ? ¨Chloe asked with a frown.

¨Don´t worry. We´ll share a shower, but not the first time, ¨he smirked. ¨I hate having to do this now, Chloe, ¨he said calmly, coming closer to her and tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears. ¨I´m not turning you down, but I´m afraid there might be ears in the penthouse. ¨

¨What? ¨she asked with a strangled voice. ¨How? ¨

¨The story of my life, ¨he said through clenched teeth, hitting the wall behind her with a closed fist. ¨There´s a chance... ¨he took a deep breath, ¨there´s a chance everything that we´ve said and done... has been recorded. ¨

¨By whom? For what purpose? ¨she asked, wrapping her arms around herself, feeling suddenly cold despite the steam of the water coming from the shower and the taps.

¨We´ll have to leave the penthouse to let my team work, ¨he said, avoiding her question. ¨Do you think Lois would put you and the kids up for one night? I cannot think of a place safer than Clark´s, ¨he continued, walking up and down the decadent bathroom.

¨Lois? I don´t know, Lex. We´re not on the best of terms... ¨

¨You´re her only family, Chloe, and in spite of our differences I don´t think Clark would turn his back on my children; they´re also Lana´s after all, ¨he said tensely. ¨I... ¨

¨Lex, what´s this all about? Why can´t we just go somewhere together- the four of us? ¨she cut him off, placing a hand on his sleeve.

¨I promise everything´ll be over tomorrow, ¨he told her, covering her hand with his.

¨Are we in danger? Is that why you want us out of the way? ¨she insisted, seeing something disturbing flicker in his eyes. ¨Tell me what´s wrong, Lex. We promised to speak things out, remember? ¨

¨We can´t talk here, ¨he said after a tense pause.

¨OK. Let me grab my mobile. I´ll call, Lois, I think Martha´s staying with them now that the date´s approaching. If I can convince her to have the children for the night, I´ll drive them and... then, we´ll find a way to talk, ¨she told him determinedly.


	8. Deserving Part 1

**CHAPTER 7:** Deserving (Part 1)

_Friday 8 p.m.- Lex´s Penthouse_

After speaking with Lois for a good half hour and exhausting her credit on the phone, Chloe rode up the elevator to the top floor with a lighter heart. Although she had a serious conversation with Lex ahead, something good had come out of the emergency call- the cousins had patched things up and Chloe had even been invited to coach a very pregnant Lois at her Lamasse class.

By the time the blonde reporter crossed the threshold of the penthouse Lex had already packed a bag with nappies, bottles, formula and everything Lilly would need for the night, and was standing in front of the apartment´s panoramic windows with his back to the door.

As soon as she walked into the living-room he turned around and met her eyes with a questioning look to which she answered with a silent nod. Chloe picked up the baby and wrapped her up in a warm blanket while Lex secured the legs of a half-asleep pyjama-and-anorak-clad Alex round his hips.

They took the elevator down to the garage as the team entered the apartment to start hunting for bugs.

¨A rented car´s waiting for us downstairs, ¨said Lex over Alex´s head.

¨Are you concerned someone might follow us? ¨she murmured, trying not to awaken the children.

¨Being extra careful won´t hurt,¨ he said gravely.

_8.50 p.m.- The Kents´_

Lois opened the door of her house in the suburbs to let in her cousin and the man who´d been Clark´s enemy for over eleven years. Her husband hadn´t been at home when Chloe´s call had surprised her in the middle of a family dinner with Martha, and he hadn´t come back from his nightly patrol of the city yet.

¨Hi, Cho´! ¨exclaimed a teary Lois, hugging her cousin as tightly as her rounded womb allowed her. ¨Come in, ¨she added, grabbing Lex by the arm and closing the front door behind him.

¨Hi! Follow me, ¨said Martha in a low voice, showing them the way to the guest room.

¨Lilly´ll christen the crib before Junior, ¨quirked Lois, rubbing her tummy while Martha helped Lex tuck Alex in. ¨It´s all right, guys, you don´t need to worry about my lousy parental skills, ¨chuckled Lois. ¨Martha´ll see nothing happens to the kids. ¨

¨Lois, ¨said Lex when they left the bedroom, ¨it means a lot that you´re willing to do this for my children. ¨

¨I don´t know what the hell you´ve done this time, Luthor, but cuz is in love with those kids and they´re two innocent lamb. I couldn´t live with myself if something happened to them, so... ¨she shrugged her shoulders.

¨We´ll come for them in the morning, ¨ he responded with a tight smile, squeezing Lois´ arm.

¨Are you sure you don´t want to stay? ¨asked Martha warmly.

¨That´d be pushing my luck too much, Mrs Kent, ¨responded the billionaire, shooting a glance at Chloe. ¨You´ve got my cell number and the paediatrician´s... ¨

¨Don´t worry, Lex, ¨said Martha reassuringly. ¨They´ll be OK. ¨

_9.20 p.m.- The Metropolis Plaza_

Chloe had been at The Metropolis Plaza only twice in her life and never in a six-thousand-dollar-a-night suite; the closest she had got to enjoying the luxuries of the exclusive hotel was covering the Metropolis Red Cross Annual Ball held in one of its meeting halls the year before and a medical convention while she still worked for The Daily Planet a few years ago.

¨I wish you could have enjoyed this under better circumstances, ¨Lex´s voice surprised her as she admired the breathtaking view of Metropolis from the balcony.

¨You know, Lex, I´ve never cared so much for the where as for the company, ¨she smiled softly. ¨Will there be any more phone calls? ¨ she cocked an eyebrow.

¨I´m sorry; I had to make those, ¨he apologised, leaning on the rail next to her.

¨We´re away from interfering bugs now. What´s going on, Lex? ¨she said, looking at his profile.

¨Someone´s blackmailing me with a recorded conversation, ¨he replied, tightening the hold on the rail.

¨What kind conversation? ¨she asked seriously. ¨About business? ¨

¨No, a private conversation, ¨he told her, clenching his jaws.

¨A private conversation with whom? ¨she went on.

¨With Lana, ¨he sighed heavily.

¨Lana? ¨she frowned.

¨Last year... a few days before the Annual Red Cross Ball, we had a bitter argument... She came home at two in the morning after leaning the children alone for ten hours... She sneaked back like a thief... and had the gall to tell me in the face she had been in a meeting... as if I didn´t know what she had been doing, ¨he laughed cynically.

¨Or with whom... ¨added Chloe with a dull pain at the memory of having been made a fool once again.

¨I didn´t know then, Chloe. I swear, ¨he stated, looking into her deep green eyes.

¨It doesn´t matter now, Lex. He wasn´t worth it. Please, go on. What´s so damaging about this argument? ¨ she egged him on.

¨I threatened to kill her if I ever caught her cheating on me, ¨he replied. ¨I told her I´d murder her with my own hands and make sure it looked accidental. ¨

¨Who´s blackmailing you? ¨

¨Lana was spying on me or, at least, she was trying to dig up dirt to pay me back for saddling her with another kid, not only a Luthor but a handicapped one, ¨he responded through gritted teeth. ¨Can you believe it? She left written instructions for all the tapes to be sent to Henry Small the day any information connecting us in any way or form leaked to the papers. ¨

¨Us? ¨

¨Yes, you and me. I don´t know what else they´ve got on tape, Chloe. ¨

¨They? Didn´t you say Henry´s the one who got the tapes? ¨

¨The one that contacted me was my father´s defence attorney at his murder trial and a former partner of Small´s at a law firm that represented LuthorCorp in several high-profile cases. He jumped at the chance to bring a Luthor down... his wife was flying on the same plane Lana and Chance were on. ¨

¨That recording´s circumstantial evidence, Lex. A cheated husband lashing out´s no proof whatsoever. ¨

¨It wouldn´t be necessary for it to be true or even to be valid in court to be damaging, Chloe. It´d open the Pandora box that is my past and null everything I´ve done to be the man I want to be for you and the children, ¨he shook his head.

¨I don´t care about the past, Lex, but about the man you´re now, ¨said Chloe, making him turn around.

¨I´m a murderer, Chloe, ¨he responded with glassy eyes. ¨It doesn´t matter that he deserved it. I had Emerson killed and, if it weren´t for the fact that that decision could cost me losing my children´s custody to Henry Small and... losing you, I´d do it again in a heartbeat. What does that make me? ¨he asked, fighting to keep his tears at bay as he tightened the grip on the balcony rail until his fists were white.

Chloe looked at the tormented man in front of her and felt her stomach tie up in knots. Although she had known all those months ago that there was the distinct possibility that Emerson had died 

at Lex´s hands or, at least, at one of his emissaries´, it was harder to hear the truth coming from the young billionaire´s mouth. Her ethical self told her it was wrong, that no matter how aberrant the crimes committed by the gynaecologist no one had the right to play God with human life. Emerson´s death was murder- a justified murder but murder all the same. However, the part of her that had always fought for truth and justice couldn´t condemn Lex. Maybe she was a monster, but she couldn´t bring herself to judge him or to turn her back on him when it was so clear he was already paying for his sins and those of his own father in the flesh and, more importantly, in the soul.

¨Do they have proof? ¨she murmured in a controlled voice she hardly recognised as her own.

¨I don´t know what they have, ¨he answered, closing his eyes to pull himself together.

¨I assume you´ve got your team working on it. If they´ve come to you with this tape, it means they must have something bigger than a recording of a marital quarrel. Did you ever mention anything about the good old doctor in your exchanges with Lana at the penthouse? ¨

¨I don´t think so, but you´re right... Small´s too confident he´ll get the children away from me when he´s done. Maybe it´d be better if we finished this now... ¨he said in a cold and controlled voice.

¨What do you mean ´finish´? ¨asked Chloe, feeling a sudden tightening at the pit of her stomach.

¨You should get away from me before it´s too late, before you get dragged down with me, ¨he told her, locking his intense gaze with her wide green eyes.

¨It´s too late to ask me to do that, Lex. You can´t let me in your life and your children´s, make me fall in love with you over again and start sharing things with me I know the old Lex would have never let himself share with another human being to just push me away when things get rough, ¨ she exploded.

¨ Chloe, you de... ¨he began only to be cut short by Chloe.

¨Don´t you dare say that word, Luthor! ¨she shouted at him with tears in her eyes. ¨I´m sick and tired of hearing that word. What does being deserving mean? To be pure of heart? Of soul? Of thought? Contrary to what you might believe I´m not saintly. OK... I may be still a... you know... a state I had plans to do something about tonight... but I´m not a candidate for sainthood. Every time I saw Lana get away with things they´d have never forgiven in me, every time I had my heart broken because Clark or Chance or you preferred her to me, I wanted to see her dead. Knowing what she did to your children, thinking she had even considered aborting Lilly because she wasn´t a fcking perfect princess like her made me wish I could kill her with my own bare hands. I´ve felt envy, Lex, envy of what my cousin and Clark have, of what I thought it could never be mine, and lust for somebody else´s husband. I´m far from perfect. So don´t give me your ¨You deserve better¨ or ¨I´m not deserving¨ bullshit because... ¨she sobbed, feeling his hands taking her gently by her arms and bringing her closer to him.

¨I´m tired of making you cry, ¨he whispered, pressing his lips against her temple as she slipped her hands into his jacket and rested her head on his chest.

¨Then do something about it, ¨she looked up, meeting his stormy blue-grey eyes. ¨Make love to me, Lex. ¨


	9. Deserving Part 2

**CHAPTER 7:** Deserving (Part 2)

The young tycoon saw her hazel green eyes glisten with unshed tears, her delicately made-up lips just a few breaths away from his, and remembered a night twelve years ago- a night he had never managed to forget for more reasons than one. It was the day Lionel had been sentenced to life imprisonment after Chloe´s testimony in court- the epilogue of a three-month seclusion during which he and General Lane had joined forces to shelter her from harm. She had just resurrected from her exile and escaped almost unscathed from the attack of a meteor freak Lionel had sent to murder her and who Clark and Lois had inadvertently directed to her in their amateurish attempts to prove she wasn´t dead.

Lex could still visualise the bloody corpses of the security detail assigned to Chloe in the safe house he had provided for her and Gabe; he had been on the verge of losing his sanity when he entered the living-room to find Clark already there and saw the blood splattered on the floor and the walls. Then came the rescue from the old foundry- a rescue Lex couldn´t take credit for since Clark had played the hero once again and saved her without giving away his Kryptonian secret. She had survived and helped the young CEO put Lionel away where he belonged, and Lex had cracked.

The trial had lasted long into the afternoon and a limo took Lex and Chloe away from court and the media circus. He distinctly remembered the drive, not so much for what was said as for the thoughts and feelings which were raging inside of him- thoughts and feelings which threatened to consume him. He´d thought he´d feel nothing when the gavel went down and the judge passed the sentence; he´d told himself he was doing a service to the world by putting a monster away. Lionel was as good as dead to him- after all, hadn´t the old man said Lex was worth nothing to him? Hadn´t he committed his first-born to an asylum, subjected him to ethically questionable experiments, tried to murder him? Hadn´t he offered Clark as a lab rat at Summerholt, taken advantage of a heartbroken teenager and attempted to kill her twice? Lex knew he shouldn´t feel anything, but he did and he couldn´t process it. Lionel was a monster, a twisted psychopath who hadn´t hesitated to murder his parents and tried to off his son in a similar fashion; still Lex wanted the bastard to love him and Chloe had learnt about this deep yearning the day she had broken in LuthorCorp on one of her investigative exploits and inhaled that meteor-laced serum which gave her the power to get the truth from anyone.

She was looking at him now just as she had at the hotel room the night the trial was over- the night when Lex had fought against everything that was deeply engrained in him thanks to Lionel- feelings and emotions were only for the weak. She had said nothing, only touched his shoulder as he sat on the sofa with his head in his hands trying to chase away the tears that were threatening to spill and the anguish which was gathering in his chest. He had felt her soothing presence, that delicate feminine perfume of lilacs which reminded him of Lillian, and the dam had broken down. She was the only one who knew- the only one who had heard it from his mouth- that he craved the bastard´s love.

Lex had raised his eyes and met her look- the look of a green seventeen-year-old who had been awakened to the ugliness of life and deceit by a man whose only purpose was to show he could 

manipulate everyone like a puppet master and crush anyone at will. Lex heard the words that left her mouth- words that spoke of love and new beginnings- and locked his eyes with hers; those idealistic green pools promised the world to the jaded twenty-three-year-old son of a bastard. However, Lex chose to see pity in them; it was so much simpler, so much fairer to a girl who had the world before her. He wouldn´t be the Luthor to destroy her, he promised himself the night that he had turned down the gift of her innocence.

Twelve years later they had come full circle. They were back in a hotel room- he more jaded and hurt, and she more mature but still the same girl of the luminous smile who had seen beyond his armour of ruthlessness and cool detachment and offered him the dream of happiness.

¨Lex? ¨she murmured questioningly, leaning closer into him.

´God, forgive me, ´he told himself as he cupped her face with his hand and brushed her lips with his.

She was asking him to believe that dream was possible, and he needed to believe because, despite the years and all the hurting, God or Providence was giving him a second chance to embrace what he had let slip through his fingers.

Although he´d tried to protect her from the darkness in him, she kept coming back to him time and time again. He wanted to put the world at her feet... to give her her childhood dream on a silver platter... The Daily Planet... but it seemed a jaded thirty-something billionaire and father of two was all she wanted. The part of Lillian that still lived in him urged Lex to follow his heart, hold Chloe and never let her go.

The young woman stood on tiptoe and, snaking her arms around his neck, brought her petite frame closer to Lex. Feeling her soft curves pressed against him and savouring the sweet taste of coffee and mint which was so much hers, broke down the last of his defences. He´d forget the Luthor in him till the morning and let the light envelop him. He needed her love and her faith in him to face whatever fate had in store for them come tomorrow.


	10. Secrets from the Past Part 1

**CHAPTER 8:** Secrets from the Past (Part 1 )

_Metropolis Plaza Suite _

It was two in the morning and Chloe was lying wide awake in Lex´s arms. He was spooning her from behind, holding her tight to him even in his sleep, and she felt her maternal instinct overwhelm her. He had been tender and patient, preparing her for the moment their bodies would become one at last- and she had seen the hesitancy in his eyes when she locked them with hers before he tore the last barrier between them. She had read doubt in the blue-grey depths- as if he couldn´t allow himself to believe yet that she had waited for him for so many years- and overwhelmed by the feeling she saw reflected in them, she had angled her body and finally sheathed him. He had whispered something which sounded a lot like ´home´ as he filled her and gave her virgin womb time to adjust, and Chloe´s orbs had clouded when she felt his arms embrace her in much the same way as Alex had the evening he thought she was leaving for good. ¨I love you, Lex. I love you. I´m not leaving, ¨ she had murmured in his ear over and over again as their bodies rocked in a tortuously slow and gentle motion. ¨I love you. The children love you. We´ll always love you... We forgive you, Lex, ¨she had panted, holding his gaze before he sealed his mouth with a searing kiss and with a final deep thrust spilled his seed in her.

Chloe looked at the voile curtains billow with a sudden gust of wind now and saw the French door they had left open while making love was dangerously close to be slammed shut. She stirred a little, trying not to disturb Lex, and slipped away from his embrace when he slackened his hold on her a tiny bit. Not worrying about her state of undress, she secured the door and closed the curtains. The temperature in Metropolis had dropped a few degrees in the last couple of hours and she shivered, scanning the room to find something she could put on. Although the temptation to pull the quilt off the bed was quite strong, she didn´t want for Lex to wake up just yet; there was something special about watching someone sleep, and this was the first time she could observe him in repose to her heart´s content. No, she would simply grab his jacket from the dressing stool and slip it on. The expensive Italian outfit smelled of him and his exclusive perfume, and Chloe snuggled up, sitting down in an armchair in the corner of the room with her feet tucked underneath her. Only the sound of a distant siren was heard muffled by the close windows, and she could make out the soft compassed breathing coming from the bed. She couldn´t help but revel in the knowledge that it was her- Chloe Sullivan- who had managed to make him feel relaxed enough to be able to sleep a few hours in a row.

Half an hour later her right leg was getting numb and she was forced to change her position in the armchair, resting her weight on her left side. It was then, when she readjusted his jacket around her, that she touched the bulge in his left pocket. Her curious nature defeated the tiny voice in her that told her she shouldn´t poke her nose into his things, and she slipped her hand inside to take out a small velvet case.

Chloe held the case in her hands and stared at it as if it were a hot potato. She wanted to know what was inside, wished it were what she had been dreaming of in the past few months but was scared to open it in case what lay in it was a pair of goodbye diamond earrings. Her heart told her 

she was being a fool, that the man who had made tender love to her a couple of hours ago, the man who had held her so tight as if he would never let her go, couldn´t be so cruel. However, the little insecure girl who still lived in Chloe- the one who had grown up in the shadow of Miss Perfect Lana Lang- told her Lex was no Prince Charming and that she was no Fairy Princess.

¨You´ve been fidgeting with that case for the last ten minutes, Chloe, ¨his masculine velvety voice intruded in her thoughts and brought goose pimples to her skin. ¨Aren´t you going to open it?

¨I didn´t know if it was for me, ¨she responded with a tremor.

¨And who would it be for? ¨he cocked an eyebrow, propped up on his left elbow. ¨I don´t know if you´ve noticed but, ever since you´ve been around, the throngs of accosting brunettes have suddenly vanished. ¨

¨It could be for Lilly, ¨she murmured, swallowing the lump in her throat.

¨She´s too young for jewels, don´t you think? ¨he smirked.

¨Well, not for a pair of mother-of-pearl earrings, ¨she smiled, meeting his eyes for a moment before toying with the case again.

¨Chloe, sweetheart, open it, ¨he murmured, sitting up on the bed.

¨How long... ? ¨she choked, looking at the delicate platinum and emerald engagement ring lying on the velvet bed.

¨How long have I got it? I´ve been carrying it on me for a few days now, ¨he responded, slipping on his trousers and approaching her barefoot. ¨I had it made over a month ago and kept it in my desk drawer until that Thursday you brought me Thai food to the office, remember? ¨

¨You´ve had it made for me? ¨she asked with blurry eyes.

¨The Luthor vault´s full of jewels, but I wanted something special, something new. This isn´t how I´d planned to do it... I still believe I´m being selfish to ask you this when we don´t know exactly what´s going to happen today, ¨he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

¨I can´t think of a better time or place, Lex, ¨she smiled. ¨I´ve never been this happy. ¨

¨Neither have I, ¨he responded, boring his intense blue-grey eyes in her. ¨I love you. Chloe Sullivan. Will you be my lawfully-wedded wife? ¨

¨What took you so long, Luthor? ¨she beamed as he slipped the exquisite jewel on her finger. ¨You won´t mind having three reporters in the family, then? ¨

¨My father must be turning in his grave,¨ he smirked, picking her up from the armchair and carrying her back to bed.¨What do you think you are you doing, Lex? ¨she asked in a husky voice when he deposited her on the four-poster.

¨You won´t be needing this, ¨he responded snugly as he removed the jacket from her.

¨I don´t know, it´s cold in here, ¨she pouted.

¨Well, we could do something about that, ¨he smiled, tugging at her earlobe. ¨What do you say? Shall we seal the engagement? ¨he added, pressing a kiss on her pulse and cupping her bottom gently to bring her closer to the evidence of his renewed desire.

¨I´d say that´s a nice way to keep me warm, ¨she moaned.

_LuthorCorp Plaza 7 a.m. _

¨Good morning, Mr Johansen. Tell me what you´ve got for me, ¨said Lex pouring two cups of freshly brewed coffee.

¨I´ve got both good and bad news. Which would you prefer to hear first? ¨ responded the seasoned PI.

¨You haven´t found the tapes, ¨ stated Lex, clenching his teeth.

¨We searched Boulder´s office and sent a team to his house when everyone was out; we found nothing. He must have them in a safe deposit box in the vault of the bank he operates with. The good news is... we´ve managed to dig up something about their past association with LuthorCorp, ¨smiled the private investigator, handing a dossier over to Lex.

Stretching out his arm, the young tycoon picked up the folder and leafed through it with a satisfied grin on his face; nobody who had ever worked for his father was a candidate for sainthood.

¨We´ll see how they get away with this, ¨smiled Lex wolfishly.

¨About the tapes... ¨began the man.

¨I´ve got the bargaining chip, Johansen. I´ll take it from here. Your usual cheque... plus a bonus, ¨responded Lex, adding his signature to the slip.

¨If there´s anything more I and my team can do to help... ¨said the man, grabbing the payment and leaving his chair.

¨I´ll let you know, thanks. Now, if you´ll excuse me, I´ve got other business to see to, ¨he finished, putting the dossier in his briefcase and closing it firmly. ¨Jessica, tell them to get the chopper ready, ¨he told his efficient assistant on the intercom.

_Smallville 7.40 a.m._

Eight years after leaving the small town for good the Luthor heir landed in the green pastures of Smallville to face a man he scarcely knew- the man who had threatened to ruin Lex´s last chance of ever finding happiness; the man whose ancestors had founded the rural town to which Lionel had exiled his first-born.

Lex picked up his briefcase and, opening the door of the helicopter, stepped out to walk the distance between it and the house of his former father-in-law. The smell of grass and manure invaded his nostrils as he made his way to the two-storey house- he had forgotten what it felt like to breathe the fresh air of the countryside, away from the smog and pollution which had permeated his life in Metropolis. However, he knew that appearances could be deceptive; Smallville was far from being an average wholesome rural town of Midwestern America.

¨What are you doing here? ¨glared the bespectacled middle-aged man on opening the screen door.

¨Believe me, I´d never thought I ´d set foot in this town again and this is a house call I find no pleasure in doing, ¨ responded a very serious Lex.

¨I´ve got nothing to say to you except that I hope you´ll rot in jail for what you did to my daughter, ¨hissed Henry Small.

¨I´m afraid you know half of the story, Mr Small. Judging by the transcripts I got... Lana had our argument edited to appeal to your paternal instincts, ¨ responded Lex coldly. ¨She had virtually abandoned our children even before eloping with my campaign manager. ¨

¨Lana was a good girl. You Luthors ruin everything you touch, ¨said Henry in disgust.

¨I understand the love of a father for a daughter better than anyone, Mr Small, but a couple of random meetings at The Talon when Lana was a teenager were hardly enough for you to get to really know her. ¨

¨I know you and your kind, and that´s enough in my books. ¨

¨I´ve come here to strike a bargain, ¨said Lex coolly. ¨I´ve no intention of discussing your daughter or our marriage. ¨

¨You aren´t in a position to bargain, Mr Luthor. Give me what I want and, maybe, I´ll consider keeping quiet. ¨

¨You never showed interest in the children while Lana was alive. Why now? ¨

¨They´re my grandchildren. ¨

¨So were they then. And let´s not forget... they´re Luthors. ¨

¨Not once I get their custody. ¨

¨Do you think this tape will get you what you want? Besides, I have several witnesses who can testify what kind of a mother Lana really was. ¨

¨You´re right. The tape was just the bait, but what Boulder and I´ve got in that safe deposit box will make sure you´ll never see your children again. I won´t have Lana´s offspring raised by an unstable father and the daughter of a woman with a history of mental illness, ¨he spat at Lex.

¨I´d be careful if I were you, Mr Small. I might have tolerated your petty attempts at blackmail, but if you ever consider doing anything that might put Miss Sullivan in harm´s way... ¨he smouldered.

¨Is that a threat? ¨frowned Henry.

¨We´ve dragged this conversation long enough, ¨said Lex tersely.

¨Henry¨ said a grave voice behind Lex, ¨we´ve got a problem. ¨

¨Come to join the welcome committee, Dr Boulder? ¨Lex greeted him ironically.

¨How did you do it? ¨glared the grey-haired man.

¨How did I do what, Dr Boulder? What crime are you accusing me of now? ¨he cocked an eyebrow.

¨The tapes... they´re gone. How did you manage to do that? Did you bribe someone at the bank? ¨Boulder gritted his teeth.

¨Am I to assume you´ve misplaced your ´evidence´? ¨

¨Don´t act so surprised, Luthor. Remember I knew your father and his ways, and the apple doesn´t fall far from the tree. ¨

¨And, in your case, ¨smirked Lex, ¨there isn´t a more appropriate saying than ´Two birds of a feather flock together. ´ ¨he added, extracting a sealed envelope he handed over to both lawyers. ¨You shouldn´t be so ready to cast the first stone, not when you worked for my father for so long. ¨


	11. Secrets from the Past Part 2

**CHAPTER 8:** Secrets from the Past (Part 2 )

_Metropolis Plaza Suite-8.30 a.m._

Chloe woke up a little after eight to find the left side of the bed empty- Lex must have left a while ago judging by the cool sheets. She would have liked for him to wake her up before starting for the office or wherever he was heading, but the afterglow had rendered her groggily boneless and he must have taken pity on her.

Clutching the bedclothes around her still naked body Chloe sat up and smiled at Lex´s romantic gesture- there on the pillow next to hers lay a tea-coloured tulip with a handwritten note on his purple stationery. She traced the perfect calligraphy with the tips of her fingers- Lex had a beautiful handwriting and she had always admired it, in fact she had kept several notes scribbled by him stashed away in a box from the days when they collaborated to send Lionel to prison.

Remembering she was supposed to pick up the children after breakfast, she got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to have a shower and get dressed. Moreover, since Lex hadn´t called or texted her with news yet, she needed the tranquilising effect of the warm water falling down her body. She opened the sliding door and adjusted the temperature before stepping into the stall. Closing her eyes to let the water cascade down the curves Lex had worshipped the night before and re-discovered once again in the wee small hours of the morning, she curved her lips in a smile as she recalled what he had said in the penthouse´s bathroom- that they´d share a shower another time; funny how an ordinary morning ritual could turn into something completely different when one was in love.

¨Lex, is that you? ¨shouted Chloe as she closed the taps and thought she heard someone moving in the bedroom. ¨Lex? ¨she repeated, wrapping her body in a fluffy white towel and walking out of the bathroom with a frown on her face.

The room was as empty as it had been when she decided to take a shower; nothing seemed to be amiss, except for the billowing curtain of one of the French doors on a windless day.

¨Weird, ¨she murmured, looking out into the balcony and returning to the room to dry and put some clothes on. ¨Hello! What the devil´s this? ¨she stopped dead in her tracks on spotting a long metal box on the dresser.

Chloe let her eyes roam the room once again to look for any possible disturbances but found none. Maybe Lex had come back, left the box and went away again on some errand. However, she didn´t think so; his perfume wouldn´t have passed unnoticed to her. She looked down at the container, intrigued about the way it had got there and, at the same time, worried about its contents. Could it be a present from the blackmailers? A bomb? She couldn´t hear the ticking of a clock, but there were more sophisticated ways to blow up someone these days. Although the box was calling to her like a magnet, she couldn´t bring herself to open it. Should she call the bomb squad? Lex? Clark? Clark might scan it with his x-ray vision and tell her... what? Did she really want him to find out what was inside if it incriminated Lex? Come to think of it... what if it had been Clark who had entered the room through the window? She was on the thirtieth floor and he could fly, right? Maybe she should just phone Lex.

¨Morning, ¨said a sensual voice she hadn´t heard for a few hours.

¨Lex!¨she jumped off the chair placed in front of the dresser. ¨You´ve scared the sht out of me, ¨she panted, bringing a hand to her palpitating chest.

¨Sorry, Chloe. I didn´t mean to rattle you. What´s wrong? ¨he frowned seeing her nervousness. ¨Something tells me you aren´t jittery because of my turning up all of a sudden. Aren´t you getting cold, by the way? ¨he added, coming closer to her. ¨Why don´t you put something on? ¨he murmured, pressing a kiss on her mouth. ¨I´ve got wonderful news to share with you. ¨

¨That´s great, Lex, ¨she smiled breathless, ¨but I think you should have a look at that, ¨she told him, pointing at the box with her finger.

¨What is it? ¨he frowned, glancing at it with a questioning look.

¨I actually don´t know. Somehow it got there while I was showering, ¨she shrugged her shoulders. ¨Shouldn´t we call the bomb squad or something? ¨she blurted when he put the hand on the latch.

¨I think I know what this is, ¨he said seriously, looking at her squarely in the eye. ¨You see... I´ve flown to Smallville this morning... to talk with Lana´s dad... He was pretty adamant... ¨

¨But you´ve just said you´ve got good news, ¨she frowned.

¨Oh, yes. I´m coming to that, ¨ he smiled.

¨Did you have to... twist his arm, so to speak? ¨she laughed nervously. ¨I mean... your team managed to find something against him, right? I remember when Lana asked me to investigate him back in high school... I came across some things about his past that weren´t that virtuous, ¨she rolled her eyes.

¨Yeah, you´re right, Chloe. My team got some very incriminating information concerning manufactured evidence and witness tampering done for my dad. I had every intention of using it to intimidate them, and I did get to use it but not in the way I´d originally planned, ¨he smirked.

¨I don´t understand, ¨she said with a puzzled look.

¨Henry and I were in the middle of a heated argument when his partner turned up... to inform him the tapes had inexplicably vanished into thin air. Needless to say they pointed their finger at me. I had a team working on finding whatever they wanted to use to blackmail me and they came empty-handed- we figured out they had to have a safe deposit box with the material at the bank they operate with. ¨

¨So... what is there in that box? ¨she asked shooting a glance at the dresser.

¨I don´t know. I just assume it´s whatever they were planning to use against me. Henry was so sure he´d get the children away from me, ¨he told her, omitting what Lana´s father had hinted at when mentioning Chloe´s own family history. ¨He won´t get away with it now- not without whatever it is in that box and with the document I had him sign renouncing any custody rights to the children if anything were to happen to you and me. ¨

¨Are you going to open it? ¨she asked, swallowing the big lump in her throat.

¨Put some clothes on, sweetheart, ¨he smiled weakly when she saw her shiver. ¨We´ll see what´s inside together. ¨


	12. Old Friends, Old Debts, New Beginnings

**CHAPTER 9:** Old Friends, Old Debts and New Beginnings

_THE KENTS´- Metropolis suburbs- 10 a.m._

Chloe parked in front of Clark and Lois´ home in the suburbs, killed the engine and, grabbing her handbag, stepped out of the vehicle to walk up the driveway. Her face brightened up with that luminous smile she was famous for when she saw a reddish-brown-haired boy spying through the living-room curtains.

¨Hey, Alex! ¨she exclaimed once Martha opened the front door. ¨You´ve missed me, sweetie? ¨she added crouching down and feeling a sudden tug at her heart when the young miniature of Lex walk hesitantly towards her. ¨Aren´t you happy to see me? ¨she asked, tilting her head.

¨Hi, cuz! I´m glad you´re back. He´s a sweet pie, but I´m afraid my conversation ran dry when he suggested we spoke about Greek and Roman mythology. What the hell does Lex give him to read? ¨exclaimed Lois.

¨Well... as a matter of fact... ¨smiled Chloe guiltily, ¨I gave him a children´s one-volume encyclopaedia on ancient mythology for his birthday. Lex had nothing to do with that one. ¨

¨What happened to Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck? Give the boy some comics. Come to think of it... I´ve got a heap of X-Men comics up in the attic. Maybe he´ll like them... you know... Professor Xavier? Although, he´s one of the good guys, right? ¨

¨Lois! ¨gritted Chloe.

¨Hi, Chloe! ¨Martha greeted her with a warm smile. ¨I´ve just finished feeding Lilly. Any news?¨she added, shooting the blonde a conspiratorial glance.

¨Everything´s OK. Thanks for asking, Martha, ¨smiled Chloe as Alex scooted closer to her and let her run her fingers through his hair.

¨So... where´s the father of Zeus´ champion? ¨asked Lois, smirking at both Chloe and Alex.

¨He had some errands to run. Is Clark home? ¨responded Chloe, taking Lilly from Martha´s arms. ¨Hello, baby, ¨she pecked her nose.

¨I suppose he must be at the bullpen, ¨ Lois sighed, rubbing her swelling womb. ¨I hope he won´t blow it while I´m not around. ¨

¨Don´t you trust him to juggle everything, Lo´ ? ¨asked Chloe, cleaning Lilly´s dummy before putting it back in the girl´s mouth.

¨ Smallville needs me to keep Perry happy. Every time I think of him in that newsroom without me to cover her ass, I cannot help but visualise our grumpy editor kicking his butt all the way back to Hickville, ¨Lois rolled her eyes.

¨I´m sure Perry values you, Lo´, but Clark´s turned out to be a pretty decent reporter... and a wonderful friend, ¨she smiled with glassy eyes.

_The Daily Planet Bullpen- 10.05 a.m._

¨Hey, Kent! ¨ howled Perry White from the door of his private office. ¨I´m still waiting for that article of yours. Don´t tell me you´ve ruined another keyboard. I´m running out of excuses to explain the sudden increase in our computer equipment expenses to the people upstairs. ¨

¨I´m almost done, Mr White, ¨responded Clark, readjusting his glasses.

¨I didn´t know the Board of Directors of The Planet was so tight-fisted. How much does a keyboard cost these days? 30? ¨said a mocking voice near Clark´s back.

¨Mr Luthor, ¨White greeted the former owner of the paper, ¨what brings you to our humble newspaper? ¨

¨Humble, White? ¨Lex cocked an eyebrow. ¨You´ve got a Pulitzer Prize and ... a faster-than-a-bullet typist. I wouldn´t call it ´humble´. Would you, Clark? ¨he smirked, holding the farm boy´s gaze.

¨Well, I´m proud of my employees, ¨conceded the editor. ¨Although they sometimes move too slow for my taste. ¨

¨Could I steal Mr Kent for a moment, Mr White? ¨asked Lex, focusing his eyes on the old reporter.

¨OK. But that article must be on my desk before twelve. You hear me, Kent? ¨he glared at the bespectacled journalist before slamming his door shut.

¨What are you doing here, Lex? ¨Clark queried coldly.

¨We need to talk... away from prying eyes...¨replied Lex in a low voice. ¨I´ll meet you on the roof.¨

LuthorCorp´s CEO paced the rooftop of Metropolis´ leading newspaper, wondering what was taking Clark so long; he hoped he wasn´t wrong about his assumption that Jonathan and Martha´s adoptive son had had something to do with the miraculous turn of events- if not, Lex would have to think of something to cover his faux-pas pretty fast.

¨OK. You wanted to talk. Let´s hear what you´ve got to say, ¨Clark intruded into Lex´s musings.

¨All of my life things have happened to me which I can´t explain. In the last year... I´ve seen more ´miracles´ happen than I ever though I would, ¨began Lex with his hands deep in the pockets of his Armani overcoat. ¨A year ago I wouldn´t have been standing on this rooftop having a conversation with you, Clark. ¨

¨And what´s happened to change that? ¨asked Clark seriously.

¨Chloe happened, ¨responded the tall lean CEO.

¨Lex... ¨said Clark, running his fingers through his hair.

¨Why did you do it, Clark? What convinced you I was worth a second chance? Did she put you up to it? ¨ he asked, holding the young man´s gaze.

¨What are you talking about? ¨ asked Clark with a puzzled look.

¨Game´s over, Clark. I´ve known your secret for a long while. Did she put you up to it? ¨ responded Lex.

¨She didn´t put me up to anything, ¨replied Clark gravely.

¨Then, how did you know? I don´t know why I´m asking. It shouldn´t surprise me after all these years. You´ve always managed to be at the right place at the right time. Although I´d never thought I´d see the day when Metropolis´ superhero would get out of his way to save a Luthor´s ass. Still... I´m intrigued. Only Chloe and my hired PI knew about it, ¨he eyed Clark fixing him with his intense blue-grey eyes.

¨I overheard you and Chloe talking. ¨he said uncomfortably.

¨You overheard us? You mean you eavesdropped, ¨ Lex replied with the ghost of a smile.

¨I was... I was patrolling the city and I ... saw Chloe with you on the balcony of the Plaza, ¨continued Clark.

¨And you just couldn´t resist it, ¨replied the bald billionaire. ¨I don´t blame you, you know, for trying to look out for Chloe, considering who I am and the blood that runs through my veins. What else did you do from your vantage point? Was your curiosity fulfilled with that conversation or... ? ¨

¨I´m not a peeping Tom, Lex. What I overheard was more than enough. I care about Chloe... a lot, and I don´t know why but she loves you, and from what I gathered after... what I witnessed... you seem to be sincere about your feelings for her. ¨

¨Listen, Clark. I don´t delude myself that you did this for my sake... ¨

¨In spite of everything that´s happened between us, Lex, I can´t deny I did it in part to compensate an old friend for a wrong I did to him a long time ago when I could have prevented his father from nearly killing him at Belle Reve, ¨responded Clark, taking a deep breath.

After a couple of tense minutes, Lex said, ¨Did you listen to them first? ¨

¨I just supersped into the vault, grabbed them and left them in the suite. They were private sessions, Lex, not meant to be heard by anyone. I assume Boulder got them from Lionel when he was preparing his appeal. ¨

¨To prove I´d framed him, that I´d always been an unstable kid under psychiatric treatment. Yes, that was my guessing too. Aren´t you also worried about my raising Lana´s children... considering my background? ¨

¨From what Lois, mum and Chloe had told me you´ve done a great job with them so far, ¨he conceded.

¨I´m sorry about Lana, Clark. I know how much she meant to you. ¨

¨I guess I´d never truly known her. ¨

¨So... where does this leave us? I´m not naïve enough to believe almost ten years of enmity will miraculously vanish overnight. ¨

¨I still don´t trust you, Lex; but I´m putting my trust in Chloe´s judgement and her love for you and your children. Ever since I met you you´ve always given me the impression of wanting a real family. I hope now that you have it, you´ll do your best to keep it together and make it happy. ¨

¨I´ll die trying, ¨said an emotional Lex.

¨You´d better because if you hurt Chloe in any way, no money on this earth will protect you against... ¨

¨You or Miss obnoxious Lane, ¨smiled Lex. ¨I got it. ¨


	13. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

_Tuscany- Palazzo San Giacomo- A month later_

The Venetian windows were widely open, letting the Mediterranean sun filter through the white curtains of the master bedroom and warm the slightly tanned complexion of the newlyweds.

¨How did you sleep, Mrs Luthor? ¨ murmured Lex as he pressed a trail of butterfly kisses on Chloe´s back.

¨Never better, ¨she moaned when he grazed a particularly sensitive spot.

¨Hungry? ¨ he smiled next to her skin.

¨Well, that depends. What´s on the menu? ¨she leant back, bringing their bodies flush and smiling mischievously at the effect she was having on Lex´s.

¨You´re tempting me, Mrs Luthor, ¨he wrapped an arm around her waist as he spooned her.

¨You haven´t told me what´s on the menu yet, ¨she feigned discontent.

¨You´ve always been a mocha and chocolate cake kind of girl, ¨he nuzzled her neck as his right hand cupped one of her creamy breasts.

¨That sounds delicious, ¨she moaned when his fingers grazed an erect peak.

¨Chloe? ¨he murmured in her ear.

¨Stop teasing me, Lex, ¨she squirmed. ¨The children´ll be up in less than an hour, ¨she begged him.

¨Impatient, are we? ¨he said with a smile in his voice.

¨Wipe that smug look off your face, Luthor, ¨she smacked him on the arm.

¨What smug look? ¨he answered feigning outrage.

¨That one! ¨she exclaimed, turning over and hitting him with her pillow.

¨Hey, careful! ¨he snatched the weapon away from her hands. ¨What´ll happen if you maim the groom in the middle of your honeymoon? ¨

¨Well, judging by the looks and the pick-up lines I´ve been getting from the local males ... ¨she cocked an eyebrow.

¨When was this? ¨he frowned, tightening his hold on her.

¨When I took the kids down to the village for an ice-cream. Why? Are you jealous? ¨she responded barely repressing the smile that was fighting to come to the surface.

¨Why would I be jealous? ¨he replied with a poker-face but not before she could see something dangerous flash in his pupils.

¨I love it when you go all possessive, ¨she said huskily, snaking her hands up his torso and brushing her lips against his.

¨You´re having fun, aren´t you? ¨he smirked, before plundering her mouth in a searing kiss that left them both panting. ¨You´re mine, ¨he stated passionately as he kissed her pulse and cupped her bottom to bring their bodies closer together.

¨I don´t know about that. We Sullivan-Lane girls are very independent, ¨she moaned breathlessly when her body and Lex´s became one once again.

¨You were saying? ¨she heard his playful voice say as he slipped deeper.

¨Smug, ¨she protested when she felt the delicious friction.

¨Mine, ¨he murmured, bringing their lips together again for a leisurely kiss that matched the languorous rocking of their love-making.

¨You´re killing me, Lex, ¨she panted after a while, caressing his back and pressing a sloppy kiss on his mouth.

¨Say it, ¨he told her breathlessly when he felt their climax approaching.

¨I love you, Lex, ¨she responded, holding his tormented blue-grey eyes as she came undone.

¨I love you, Chloe, ¨he choked, letting himself go and clutching her close to his sated body.

¨I´m here, Lex. I´m not going anywhere, ¨she whispered, embracing him back.

¨Not tempted by the Tuscan locals now? ¨ he quipped as he turned on his back with her lying on top.

¨They´ve never stood a chance, ¨she smiled, scattering kisses on his chest and his jaw.

¨Chloe... ¨he moaned when he felt her suddenly clench around him.

¨What? ¨she murmured innocently as she incorporated with Lex still sheathed in her body.

¨You´re going to succeed at doing what those throngs of accosting brunettes couldn´t, ¨ he responded breathlessly.

¨Meaning? ¨ she smiled.

¨Kill me, ¨ he smirked, sitting up and burying his hands in her blond hair to give her an open- mouthed kiss.

¨Does that mean I won´t have seconds? ¨ she hugged him, smiling naughtily.

¨I´ve created a monster,¨ he responded as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

¨Don´t worry, Lex, it´Il be our secret, ¨she laughed.

**_RICE AND DIAPERS FOR TWO WELL-KNOWN REPORTERS_** by Hush-hush

Welcome to my weekly gossip column, citizens of Metropolis.

For those of you- the romantics- who were tired of getting to this page only to read the latest scoop on break-ups and infidelity, I´ve got you great news. It´s wedding bells and rattles for two of Metropolis most respected journalists- our former Daily Planet colleague Chloe Sullivan and her cousin, our very own Lois Lane.

The Herald´s columnist and ace investigative reporter got married in a private ceremony last Friday. To whom, you wonder? Well, brunettes of this world grab your hankies and start to cry because Alexander J. Luthor- one of America´s most sought-after males- is off the market. Yes, it´s not a misprint, gals; the daughter of Lex Luthor´s former plant manager has tied the knot with our ex-boss.

LuthorCorp´s CEO has surprised a lot of people with his new image as a devoted father and husband. He´s even taken his children on his honeymoon to an unrevealed location in Tuscany! To the sceptics, I can just say there are no bounds to what true love can achieve (sigh).

Now, if Miss Sullivan- should I call her Mrs Luthor from now on?- is the one who´s changed her marital status, the new mommy can be no other than our Pulitzer Prize, Miss Lois Lane- sorry, Clark, the girl´s too independent and I daren´t call her Mrs K..., just in case.

Will the Luthors and the Kents get together every year to celebrate a wedding anniversary and a birthday? I´d like to see that- any plans to bury the hatch, boys? What´s certain is that August 25th won´t be easily forgotten by either family; it´s not every day that the maid of honour breaks waters in the middle of the ceremony and the bride and groom have to rush the priest in order to get the pregnant lady to the delivery room. By the way, where were you, Clark? You´ve got the weirdest sense of timing to disappear, pal. Boy, did your other half use some very colourful names! (smirk)

So, my deepest congratulations to the newlyweds and the brand-new parents. Will there be a Sullivan-Luthor on the way soon? Stay tuned, guys, for I´ll certainly keep an eye on those two.

THE END


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